


Punnett Results

by Mini_Goat



Series: Punnett [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Slow Romance, True Love, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 62
Words: 94,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24056014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mini_Goat/pseuds/Mini_Goat
Summary: Two lost souls hook up for a night of alcohol fueled passion but a year later, they have to work together as a team. Jack wasn’t the only one keeping his home life very private. AU
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill, Samantha "Sam" Carter/Pete Shanahan
Series: Punnett [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076918
Comments: 627
Kudos: 311





	1. Prolog: Heterozygous Alleles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missalice1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missalice1990/gifts), [Norse_Shadows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norse_Shadows/gifts), [ONeillwith2ls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ONeillwith2ls/gifts), [jedi_witch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedi_witch/gifts).



> In one of the many other realities Sam later encounters, Sam and Jack meet shortly before the first trip to Abydos. She just dumped Jonas and got reassigned. He just got separated and offered the one way ticket with a bomb. They get drunk, have sex, and a year later meet again. Now they have to navigate the unexpected outcomes of a random hook up neither expected to see again.
> 
> As with Bose this story is over 100 pages long so I will try my best to work in something else on Mondays. Also because this is huge, I’m breaking my personal rule and having my BETA review as I go. Many thanks to my writing group. Suzie, Meg, Annie, Lorna… I love you guys and I’m so glad we are having fun together. I literally could not have gotten through this monster story without you. Special shout out to KRZYHRSE for putting up with my neediness when I get stuck. Love you Old Mule!

She was tall, lean, beautiful. His type really if he admitted he had a type. Enough to look like what he was missing but not enough to make the mistake of calling out the wrong name if it came to that. He was gone enough in his cups as his granddad might have said to give that a shot.

She walked over to the bar, blond hair just past her shoulders and huge blue eyes now that he could see her more clearly. She was stunning really. The kind of woman that should be modeling rather than whatever it was she did for a living.

She’d sized him up from across the room. He was absently rubbing his bare left ring finger. The sign of a man newly separated and not sure if it was what he wanted. Perfect. No strings. No calls later. Just a night with her thighs wrapped around his face and then no further contact.

Not that she’d be here anyway, she thought bitterly of West’s words. He’d not even bothered to pretend his reasons for not including her on the mission had anything to do with anything but her reproductive organs. Then Jonas had pulled his crap and she was just done. She’d gone months without any sort of physical release because she wasn’t a cheater even stationed three states away from her fiancé and he had the nerve to demand when she was coming home.

She wasn’t. She was going to ball the brains out of the first hot Airman or Marine she saw tonight or the second if he wasn’t willing and then she was going to pack her things and go back to DC. Because women were good enough to solve your math problems apparently but not good enough to join a science expedition.

The balls hot blond was heading his way. Sweet. She sat in the empty stool next to his, gave him a sly smile then ordered a whiskey sour and a beer. The bartender asked who the beer was for and she told him both were for her. He bet if he asked, there was a story there she’d tell and if he didn’t ask she wouldn’t hold it against him. Right now the only thing he wanted her holding against him was her hips rocking in his lap.

He got a little hard just imagining them together.

“Rough day?”

“Something like that.” She told him.

He smiled grimly. “Know the feeling.” He agreed.

“Air Force?” She asked, guessing by his hair cut and this being Colorado Springs.

“Sometimes.”

She smirked. Probably retired, civilian contractor now. Wore his hair that short out of habit not fashion. Good looking though. Damned good looking. “Single?”

He made a sour face for a split second. “So I’m told.”

“Ouch.” she said. “Buy you a drink?” Her blue eyes were mesmerizing.

“Sure.”

She waved over the bartender. “Whatever the handsome guy with the great dimples wants.” She told the man.

He looked at her. She had some great dimples of her own playing around the corners of her mouth when she talked or showed the slightest hint of a smile. He wondered what they would look like with a full smile on her face. “Guinness.”

She smiled a little wider. Not her choice but she appreciated that he had decent taste in beer.

They drank in silence for a while, casting glances at each other. Easily reading each other’s intent.

She deliberately brushed his leg with hers when she crossed hers and gave him a knowing smile when his breath caught just a little. Sam gave him a ‘what are you waiting for’ look and looked at him from under her eyelashes as his hand slid slowly up her thigh to rest a mere inch from where her legs met. She gestured him forward and whispered something in his ear that made him swallow and slide his hand the rest of the way up her leg under the bar and press between her legs, his fingers stroking slowly. She gave him a slow, knowing smile.

He threw some money on the bar for their tabs and stood holding his leather jacket in front of him. “You got a place to go around here? If not, I’m at the HoJo up the road.”

She grins. “Works for me.” She’d sublet her apartment and was planning on getting a hotel for the night anyway. This would save her the effort. “The one off 25?”

“That’s the one. 128.” He grinned. “In case, we get separated.”

“That’s not going to happen.” She hadn’t gotten his name yet but he hadn’t asked hers either. Odds were in a couple weeks he’d be trying to sort things out with the ex anyway. That was always her luck. They were either psycho or separated not divorced. The decent guys were married or gay. Every time. But all she wanted tonight was physical release so if balls hot Airman was game, she’d blow his mind tonight and he’d have some pleasant memories for when his wife pissed him off later. Win win in her book.

She drove her motor pool issue compact to the motel in question and parked near his door. She got out and pondered her sanity meeting a strange man in a motel room to screw each other for a night and figured for all his brooding, he probably was harmless and, if not, she knew how to defend herself. Besides, sometimes she liked it a little rough or she wouldn’t have been dating a jerk like Jonas in the first place.

He pulled up in an old green pickup and hopped out. “Have any trouble finding the place?”

She wanted to tell him no, she’d hooked up with guys here before but thought it might be a little rude considering and went for polite. “No problem.”

“Great. Come on in.” He said as he opened the door and made room for her to walk by him.

The room smelled of nicotine. He’d been smoking but that was to be expected. She’d bummed a couple hits off one of the airmen on her way off base tonight. Not a smoker technically but she’d needed it to calm her rattled nerves. She’d preferred he wasn’t but she wasn’t in a position to judge as she never intended to see him again. She dropped her purse then her jacket on the chair by the door. He’d gone over to the efficiency kitchen and was setting up the coffee pot.

She didn’t want him sober. She wanted this sloppy and hazy so she walked over to him after kicking off her heals and put her hand over the reservoir of the pot. “I’ll set it up before I leave.” She told him, looking up into deep brown eyes that were hard but there was something besides that hardness. Pain. Loss. “Do you have anything to drink?” She hoped another drink might relax him enough to throw caution to the wind or this was going to be a long last night in town.

“Scotch okay?”

“Scotch is fine.” She told him and searched the top shelves for a pair of glasses.

He poured them a couple fingers each. Not bothering with the ice. Either she could handle her liquor or she’d pass out. He was leaving at 0600 and probably not coming back anyway. She could be here to get him blind drunk and rob him and honestly, he wouldn’t care but it seemed all she was looking for was a roll in bed and he was more than happy to oblige. He tossed the scotch back and moved towards her as he set the glass on the counter.

His hands settled on her hips and he gently tugged her against his waist. “If you came here for a good time, I’m more than happy to take care of that for you.” He said with a dark grin that made things flutter in her chest.

She threw back her drink and set her glass down next to his. “I was beginning to think I was going to have to start getting undressed before you took an interest in what I’m offering.” She admitted.

“Oh, I’m interested. I’m _very_ interested.” His kiss was demanding. Fierce. He was going to make her forget her own name whatever it was and never forget her night with him because this was all he had. The end of the line. But first. Release. His hands were busy with the buttons on her blouse. “God, you’re beautiful.” He told her as he nudged her back towards the bed.

* * *

The next morning at 0500 she quietly grabbed her things and slipped out the door before he woke up. She was sore all over but her grin when she looked at his sleeping nude body sprawled across the bed was a little silly. He’d been a hell of a lover and she almost hoped the divorce stuck. At the last moment, she wrote her number on the hotel issued pad of paper by the door with a ‘thank you’ next to a little heart. She doubted he’d ever call but, if he did, she was more than happy to have him rock her world a second time.

Sam slipped quietly out the door with a light click as the lock engaged. The coffee pot timer she’d set clicked on.

Her lover rolled over at the sound and sighed. She’d been incredible. He got up to use the head and on his way back noticed the note. He almost grinned. Apparently she’d enjoyed her night.

He had a job to do though so he went back to the grubby little bathroom and hit the shower. Someone else could deal with this crap later. He wrote down his wife’s info for the hotel to contact when the Air Force inevitably informed her of his status as killed in action. They didn’t need to know she’d thrown him out for taking the assignment. Then surprising himself, folded the blond’s number and putting it in his inside pocket with his lighter next to the photo of his son he kept on him at all times.

Events would conspire that the one way ride (if the Jackson kid figured things out) West had described would not be his last but he had no way of knowing that now. Now he had a bomb to take to another world, send his people back and dead man switch the destruction of an alien threat.


	2. Convocation of Partakers

She covered a small gasp when she walked into the briefing room and found herself face to face with the man she’d slept with fifteen months ago. Arguably there had not been much sleeping. He looked as shocked as she was to see her but covered it quickly with snide remarks and innuendo.

Sam was used to men who thought of her as meat and now she had a name to go with the feel of him buried inside her. He’d ironically also been one of her most recent lovers as life had conspired against her in that matter.

After Hammond dismissed them, Sam exchanged a look with Colonel O’Neill and he met her in the hallway.

“Captain.”

“Sir, we really should tell General Hammond that we’ve had an inappropriate relationship previously.” She told him earnestly.

“As I recall Captain, I never got your name or your rank and I know I never said mine either at the time as I was busy with… _other_ … things.”

He was different, she noted. More relaxed. The pain not gone from his eyes but muted now. His natural personality more on the forefront. “Exactly, sir, other things that were not appropriate.”

“Look, captain, I can forget about our little previous experience with each other and work with you if you can with me.”

She frowned. It had been more than a little experience for her but he was clear about his intentions. They wouldn’t be sleeping together again now that he knew her rank and would be on the same team. That was fine. She had enough on her plate. “I can if you can.”

“Look… I found out what West did after the fact. For what it’s worth, you deserved to go out on that first expedition.”

“Thank you, sir.” She nodded slightly. He was a hard man but honorable it seemed.

“Go prep for the mission, Captain.” He told her gruffly and she left him standing in that empty hallway lost in thought. He never thought he’d see her again and here she was, dropped in his lap. Something told Jack his life was about to become a whole hell of a lot more complicated.

* * *

Daniel sat in his lounge chair drinking a beer. “Are you sure it’s okay I stay with you, Jack?” He asked the other man a third time.

“Danny, it’s fine. Pay for your share of the food and don’t buy any pay-per-view porn and we’ll be fine. Read whatever you want on the shelf in the office. Put a sock on your door, etcetera.” He said, waving his hand vaguely.

“Yah, pretty sure that won’t be a problem, Jack.”

“You know what I meant.”

Daniel nods and sighs. “I think I’m going to go lie down.”

Jack nods. He can’t comfort a man that doesn’t want it yet and he doesn’t even know what to say. Sha’re wasn’t dead but she may as well be. Even if they found her, she’d been made a host. She wouldn’t be the woman Daniel loves. Jack has a sick feeling in his gut about the matter and his thoughts drift to his second in command. He’d told her he was sorry about the stunt West pulled. In fact, he’d bet his hazard pay for this last jump that was why Hammond had brought her back in but damn what a position to be in. He’d made love to that woman then never called her. Now he had to look at her every day and not imagine her legs wrapped around him. It wasn’t the only thing he worked at not imagining every day and at least thoughts of her were pleasant.

Jack sighed when he heard Daniel softly sobbing in the guest room above him. Jack wondered if that was healthier than how he’d handled losing Charlie. Bedding a woman he didn’t know then heading off to a suicide mission. The sobbing man ironically being ultimately responsible for him deciding he might want to live after all. Truth be told, he’d never been good at the emotional stuff. He was working on it though. Trying to be a better man so in the spirit of that ideal, Jack went up the stairs and stood in the doorway of his guest room a moment before crossing the floor to the bespeckled blond haired man and sat down on the bed next to him, putting a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“We’ll find her, Danny.” He said and he meant it.

Daniel nodded jerkily and leaned against him. Jack patted his shoulder awkwardly at first then simply held the other man the way he would have his son when upset. Jack’s problems seemed pretty small compared to what this kid was going through.

* * *

Sam had gone back to her small apartment. She still had arrangements to make if this was going to be a permanent assignment. She called her aunt in DC who she’d been staying with the last year and a half. Her mother’s sister had never married, never wanted to but she’d been there for Sam when she needed her the most. Now she needed an even bigger favor from the other woman and hoped she would understand.


	3. When Unity Divides

She’d almost slipped when she’d said she was an auntie. Jack was keeping his share of secrets too though apparently, and now she worried if she’d made the right decision. She couldn’t just drop this on him like a pidgin from hell. Yet, he did have the right to know. The problem was there were signs he might not be entirely stable. But then his doppelganger had driven nearly nine hours to visit his ex-wife to talk about their dead son and Sam’s heart had broken for the man’s loss.

Was this really the right thing what she was doing? She was protecting herself at his expense and it wasn’t either of their faults really, but if he knew… She couldn’t begin to imagine the hurt and anger he was going to feel when she did finally tell him, regardless of her reasons.

Even though telling him might cost her everything. Her position on her team, even her rank. She could conceivably end up court marshaled even though she hadn’t even known his name let alone his rank. Added in, she’d been right, he hadn’t been divorced yet. She wasn’t even sure if they were legally separated before he’d left for Abydos that first time and the military didn’t exactly look kindly on adultery either.

Sam sighed. There had to be a way to handle this without it being the end of the world or rather the end of her world. The worst part was, she was still strongly attracted to the man. If they were the same rank or she was on a different project, she’d not only have told him the truth, she’d have pursued him romantically. He was clearly interested.

But several weeks passed and then there was that little incident with the virus on base before that and Sam still didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t that she wasn’t positive about the situation. Her doctor had been clear about the timing. The couple of lovers she’d had after Jack weren’t close enough to the date she’d been given. Sam chewed on her lip while she worked on the equation she had in front of her. Like gate travel, there had to be a solution that didn’t end in disaster.

She found herself calling Catherine on her way home.

“Hello dear, you haven’t called in a while. Is everything all right?”

And leave it to Catherine to know if Sam calls her out of the blue it’s because there is a problem. “Yes, mostly, I just… Catherine, I’m in a bit of a pickle and I was wondering if you had time to let me bounce some things off you?”

“Well, dear, you know this isn’t a secure line so if you need to discuss the program I’ll need you to visit. Ernest’s health isn’t hardy enough to travel these days.”

“I know, I’m sorry he isn’t feeling well but this isn’t really about the program… well, not directly.”

“Well what do you mean, dear?”

Sam sighed. “I have a friend’s hypothetical situation I want to run by you and see if there’s any way to resolve the issue without causing any severe damage to her career or situation.”

“Well that sounds intriguing, dear. What have you got for me? I’ll see if this old brain of mine is up to the task.”

Sam smiled against the phone. Catherine was like a second mother and sharp as a tack. If anyone could help her figure this out it was her. “Well, about a year and a half ago, West shuffled ‘my friend’ out of the program.”

“I remember that, dear. And what a rotten skunk he was about it too. I will have you know I had words with the man about that matter.”

Sam chuckled. She bet she had. “Anyway, as you, of course, know, Uncle George brought ‘my friend’ back into the program and the rest as they say is history except this small problem ‘she’ has now.”

“And that is?”

“Well, you see… the thing is Catherine… it’s about ‘her’ daughter.”

“In what way, dear? I know the travel you kids do will be prohibitive when it comes to childcare but I thought ‘your friend’ had the baby staying with her aunt.”

“She does. And that isn’t really the issue entirely. Catherine.”

“Oh?”

“Um… you see… ‘her’ daughter… was conceived after she broke off her engagement during a one night stand.”

“Yes dear, I remember you telling me that detail before. I’m not senile yet.”

“Well… she now has to work with the man who is the father.”

“Well, that’s not so bad. dear. Perhaps they can… oh what is it they are calling it these days… co-parent together.”

“They could but telling him might cause problems more than it solves because um, he’s in her chain of command.”

“Oh dear.”

“Yah… as in… um…” Sam sighed. “He’s ‘her’ CO.”

“Oh dear.” Catherine sounded more alarmed. “Dear. he wasn’t divorced yet.”

“I know.” Sam said unhappily.

“Is he now?”

“Yah. It finalized a while ago I guess. He didn’t think he’d come home alive so he didn’t file the paperwork right away.

“Well that’s one less problem I suppose. He wasn’t exactly himself when I met him the first time. I was glad to see him happier a few months ago though I know how difficult the situation was for him.”

“Yah and that’s part of the problem because um… ‘she’ knows how he feels about losing his son and ‘she’ isn’t sure what to do about telling him he’s a father.”

“Oh and there’s that whole regulations issue too. isn’t there?”

“Yup.” Sam popped the P.

“Honestly dear, I think ‘she’ should just let it lie for now. I’m sure he wasn’t the only man ‘she’ had relations with after her break up?”

“No, he wasn’t but it’s unlikely to be anyone else as there was a gap.”

“Oh. I see. That certainly changes things if ‘she’ is nearly certain.” Catherine thought for so long Sam worried she might have dozed off. “I have a suggestion for you.” She finally said.

“Oh?”

“Has ‘she’ moved ‘her’ daughter here yet?”

“Er, next month. There have been some logistical issues as ‘her’ aunt needs to sell her house or rent it out first.”

“All right. So ‘she’ should casually drop that ‘she’ has a daughter and let him get to know her if the situation arises. Let him get to know his daughter. If he figures it out tell him the truth and if he gets mad tell him not telling him was my idea as ‘she’s’ been through enough already and so had he. Besides, he’s going to be in just as much trouble if anyone finds out so he’s very likely to keep his mouth shut on the matter to his superior officers.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so dear. He’s not the kind to cause that kind of problem even if he has to lie about it. He let Daniel leave didn’t he? Then said he was dead so they would leave him alone.”

“You do have a point.” Sam admitted.

“Now don’t you worry, dear. Everything will be fine. And if he gives ‘your friend’ any trouble you just come tell me and I’ll give him a couple of wallops to sort him out.”

Sam giggled. “Yes ma’am.”

“Now that’s better, dear. So tell me how the last few weeks have gone other than that. I’m dying to know since they forced me to retire.”

Sam told Catherine Langford about the last few months in code including how hard Jack had hugged her after her hypnosis had succeeded but left her a trembling crying mess.


	4. Potato Flakes for soup

Aunt Marge had moved into a cute little duplex around the corner from the house Sam had found herself. Sam’s daughter, Catherine Grace, seemed no worse the wear for her long separation from her mom. Even if she had been, Sam had to tell herself it was no different than deployment. She’d learned it from her dad at the same age. And dad had always come home.

Things came to their first head when Jack had suggested a team night this weekend after the exceedingly terrible events of having a Goa’uld mother lie her way onto base then control every single man in the facility. Jack at least had fought it somewhat. Teal’c had been unaffected and Daniel… had been lost to his desires. Jack had learned his lesson after the cake incident. If it seemed too good to be true…

“So how about it Carter? Beer? Movie and some dogs?” He asked her hopefully. They had settled into this kind of casual flirtation since the virus incident. Their way of coping with still being attracted to each other and knowing they shouldn’t act on it.

“That sounds fun, sir. I’ll see if my sitter is available.”

“Your cat needs a sitter?” Jack asked, chuckling.

“Er… no sir… my, um… daughter.” She said the last part very softly.

“Wait, you have a kid, Sam? When did this happen?” He said, looking her up and down. She didn’t look like she’d had a kid and she never said anything before about it.

“You didn’t tell Jack you have a daughter? Sam.” Daniel groaned. “Grace is about a year old now isn’t she Sam?”

“Nearly, yah.”

“Where have you been hiding her?” Jack wanted to know. How did Daniel know about Sam’s kid and he didn’t? He knew they talked more but jeeze…

“I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a permanent assignment so she was staying with my aunt in Washington until a couple weeks ago, sir.” She toyed with her paper cup of coffee while she said this.

Jack looked at her trying to figure out if she was being cagy to protect her kid or herself. “So if your aunt is available, you can do team night?”

“Ah… yes sir.”

“Great. I’ll see you Friday night. 1700. Bring a snack. I really like cookies if you feel like buttering me up. I’d say cake but I’m still a little leery of women bringing me cakes yet.”

Daniel chuckled and Sam smiled. Jack was back to looking and sounding like himself but for a while he’d been a hundred year old man. A hundred year old man who hadn’t known what to write to his ex-wife that he felt like he should still be in love with and yet… perhaps he was only in love with his memories of her. Jack shrugged away the nagging suspicion he’d missed something.

“So cookies, Carter?’

“Yes sir.” She said laughing.

Their conversation turned to their next mission to Hanka to check out an observatory phenomenon. Daniel asked a lot of questions and Jack sat there with a blank bored look on his face, just observing his team. Daniel seemed to be a little better. He had even gotten himself an apartment finally so he quit taking up space in Jack’s house. Not that Jack had minded the company.

Teal’c was finally being allowed off base which was why Jack had suggested a team night anyway. He had a house big enough to host a drunk airman, one archeologist and a giant Jaffa and it probably wouldn’t be that wild of a party anyway if Sam had a kid to go home to. Jack started to wonder what Sam’s daughter looked like. Cute for sure. Probably blond haired and blue eyed like her mom. Nearly a year meant shortly after their hook up probably. Some failed relationship she probably didn’t want to talk about as she already had to deal with Hanson being on base. He bet a buck the reason she didn’t mention the kid was because Hanson wouldn’t have left her alone. Jack wasn’t sorry that asshole was dead. He just wished Sam had wised up sooner. She seemed so nice and deserved better than that jerk.

Jack wondered about the father of the baby. Another airman probably. Or some politician if she was back in Washington. Jack had a gut feeling the guy didn’t know. Not because Sam would keep something like that from a guy but because he probably wanted nothing serious so when she’d gotten pregnant she’d probably just left. She wasn’t the kind to abort an unplanned pregnancy. Try to prevent one sure but accidents happened. He couldn’t remember if he’d used a condom that night or not. He thought he had and she was the kind that would be on contraception anyway so if she got pregnant she’d likely decided it was providence and carried it to term.

Their job was dangerous though, for more than one reason. She could probably use a good friend. He’d talk to her about making sure her durable was up to date as well as a chain of custody for her daughter. It didn’t matter how old her aunt was, stuff happened and she’d need a back up plan now. And probably a back up plan for her back up plan.

“Sir?”

“Sorry what?”

“You were just staring off into space, sir.” Sam said in gentle amusement.

“I was?” He asked her blandly. She’d eventually learn that was his sorting things out tactically face but they were a new team and still feeling each other out.

“Jack, if your face had gone any more slack I’d have checked your pulse.” Daniel told him.

“Nice.” Jack told him. “You guys enjoy your lunch.” Jack tossed his napkin on his tray and got up to leave.

“Way to go. Daniel.” Sam told him after Jack had left. “Now he’s mad at all of us.”

Daniel shook his head. “Jack has a weird sense of humor. He’s messing with you.”

Sam frowned in exasperation and dumped her tray before following Jack out to see where he’d gone to and try to salvage the rest of the day.

“I do not believe Captain Carter was amused, Daniel Jackson.” Teal’c told him.

“I fell for him pulling that trick three times before I figured out he was messing with me. I’m trying to save her some time.” Daniel said before shoving a roll in his mouth.

“Your people are very strange Daniel Jackson.”

“More than you know Teal’c. More than you know.”

Sam caught up with Jack most of the way to the Gate room. “Sir… a moment…”

“What is it, Carter?” he asked her.

“I’m sure Daniel was only joking, sir.” She told him and was about to say more but he put up a hand.

“Ah! How am I supposed to screw with him, Carter, if you read me too well?”

“Sir?” Sam blinked and Jack grinned at her. “Don’t be late Friday, Carter.” And he turned and left because his subconscious was urging him to kiss her and that was definitely a problem.


	5. Cookie Monsters

Sam showed up exactly on time for team night with an unmarked white bakery box. She held it out to him and shook it a little. “I come bearing burnt offerings, sir.”

“Cookies… yessss…” Jack said with obvious nearly sexual delight as he took the box from her and crammed one in his mouth, rolling his eyes dramatically. “You are officially in charge of baked goods, Carter. Danny is already here. He’s a total lightweight but he was helping me clean while I got the grill going.” He shoved another cookie into his mouth and groaned. “Don’t tell me where you got these, Carter. I really don’t like working out that much.”

Sam giggled. “I promise, sir.” She said and followed him to the kitchen to take the proffered beer he handed her. She noted with interest that he’d picked one she’d ordered a night they had gone to dinner as a team. It seemed the colonel paid more attention than he admitted to.

“Hide these from me or no one else will get any.” Jack begged her as he took two more cookies and shoved the box at her. Fortunately, the box held several dozen of the snickerdoodles he was devouring.

Sam grinned and closed the box. “Do you have any tape, sir?”

“Tape?”

“For the box so you aren’t so tempted.”

“Oh! Oh… right… tape.” He rummaged around and produced a roll of masking tape. “Here.” He told her, holding out the roll and smiling triumphantly.

She took it, biting her lower lip in amusement and taped the box closed. “There, now no one can eat them until after dinner.” She told him as she handed back the roll. Their hands brushed and both stopped and looked at his larger brown hands as he gently stroked his thumb over the palm of her hand.

“I’m glad you came.” He told her softly.”

She blushed a little. “I’m glad you decided to invite everyone. Teal’c was really excited.”

“How could you tell?” He asked her, his expression bland but his eyes twinkling.

She grinned at him and it took his breath away. Lou had told him at the bar after that first mission that no one would blame him for pursuing her. But Lou and Charlie hadn’t known about the incident and none of them had known she was a single mom. Kids complicated things. You got attached, the kids got attached. Then when things didn’t work everyone ended up upset.

Jack schooled his silly expression. “I better go get the dogs on. Go have a beer with Daniel, relax Sam. Oh… and just so you know. I’m not sir at home. You call me Jack. I call you Sam when we aren’t in uniform.”

“All right… Jack.” It felt weird calling him by his first name as though they were friends rather than colleagues.

“Public too, or it starts looking like some kind of kinky fetish.”

Sam’s jaw dropped and she blushed so hard it traveled down the length of her neck and into her shirt. “Jack!” She finally squeaked out, scandalized.

Jack laughed though.

“Sir, are you teasing me?” She demanded.

“Also, there’s no insubordination rules here, Sam. If I cross a line, you tell me to fuck right off.” He said with humor as he got the dogs out of the fridge.

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement. Daniel was right, Jack really was funny when he wanted to be.

The evening passed relatively quietly. Teal’c finished most of the box of cookies and gave Jack death glares for snagging the last couple. Sam was glad she’d thought to buy a case of bakery boxes rather than bring them in her mom’s cake case. Daniel had demanded the name of the bakery and Sam had been able to primly tell him that Colonel O’Neill has labeled its name and location classified so he’s not tempted in any way to go clean the place out.

There had been no talk of her daughter for which Sam had been grateful. Daniel obviously knew because they hit it off right away and Jack had been somewhat sketchy with his personal details until the unfortunate unity incident that made it impossible for him to continue the façade that he had no life outside the SGC. He didn’t know she’d lied to his unity doppelganger so she was off the hook for that one at least.

Jack had relaxed, made fun of Teal’c movie choice and adlibbed lines until the bigger man had given him death glares and probably drank a little more beer than he should have. Daniel had gone to the guest room to pass out and Teal’c had agreed to stay as his ride back to the base was passed out so he was meditating in the den. Lou had dropped him off at Jack’s earlier on his way to his kid’s soccer match.

Jack walked Sam to the door when it was clear the party was over.

“I can sleep on the couch you know, Carter.” He offered.

She shook her head. Sleeping in his bed seemed far too much like a temptation she didn’t need in her life. Not as things stood anyway. “I only had the two beers and that was hours ago. I’m fine and my aunt is liable to think the worst if I stumble home at six am.”

“What if you stumbled home at ten am?” He asked her in amusement.

Sam blushed a little. She knew what he was asking but he was the one that had made it clear they wouldn’t be sleeping together again, that it had been a one night stand and that was it. “Sorry, I really should get home.”

Jack was leaning on the door jamb with one elbow. “Suit yourself. It’s a really comfortable bed.”

“I’m sure it is.” She said chuckling. It was probably more comfortable after a bit of sexual release.

“I make the best pancakes.” He said to her in a low sexy purr.

She grinned. “I’m certain Daniel and Teal’c will enjoy them but I have a little girl to go home to.”

His face fell a little. Either he’d had too much beer or Sam hadn’t had enough. It wasn’t like he was going to tell anyone anyway and Daniel sure as heck wouldn’t. He sighed. “Drive safe.” He told her gruffly.

“I will. Thank you.” She did kiss his cheek affectionately though which made him think perhaps this was more about how drunk she thought he was currently as opposed to not being interested.

Jack watched Sam get into her vintage silver Volvo pull away and scrubbed his hand through his hair. He supposed he couldn’t fault her for not wanting to catch crap from her family. Even had they just spent the night cuddling, it would have looked like they had sex and while the guys would look the other way, salty elderly aunts often chose to assume the worst and tell everyone and anyone your business.

Jack really wasn’t worried about the kid being a problem. He loved kids. He and Sara had wanted more but he was never home at the right time so Charlie had been an only child. He’d be happy to do the uncle who spoils her rotten with ice cream and inappropriate toys. And be subjected to tea parties with dolls and Teal’c in a bonnet. Jack snickered. He was so taking photos.

And he’d keep things light because he wasn’t over Sara yet. The Kynthia thing had been about getting laid. He had a feeling that if he got involved with Sam, it was going to be messy and complicated. It was easy to have casual sex with someone you were attracted to but who wasn’t your intellectual equal. Things got far more complicated when that someone stimulated more than just your glands. They had each thought the other was some typical barfly and hadn’t been interested in each other’s personalities. Having gotten to know her though he’d learned she was sweet and kind but also brilliant and tough as a sausage patty MRE.

Jack was pretty sure he was in over his head.

* * *

Sam got home after midnight. Aunt Marge was passed out on loveseat. Sam went to the small second bedroom and smiled at the yellow clad bottom with rubber duckies printed all over it. She’d put her foot down about the whole pink thing. Not that there was anything wrong with pink but it was overdone. She crossed the room and tugged the small blanket back up over her daughter knowing she’d just shove it off again and smiled at her. She’d never thought she’d have time to be a mom, honestly she didn’t now but for whatever reason in spite of all precautions she’d gotten pregnant anyway and Sam wouldn’t give up her daughter now for the world.

She smiled in amusement as her chubby little legs kicked off the blanket. Well little one, your father knows you exist now. He loves kids so I know he’ll love you even if he doesn’t know you’re his, she thought.

Catherine Grace let out a little sigh and shoved a thumb in her mouth in her sleep.


	6. Of Corgi’s and Ice Cubes

Jack hugged her and Cassie both tightly when they came up from the silo elevator shaft. “That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen.” He said to her so softly only Sam heard him.

“You stayed.” She said looking around at them. Daniel was gloming in on the hug and Teal’c nodded to her. His expression impressed.

“We could not leave you to sacrifice yourself alone, Captain Carter.” Teal’c told her, pride in his voice.

“Thank you. All of you.”

“I didn’t die.” Cassie said in surprise.

“No sweetheart. You didn’t die.” Sam told her and tucked her face into the girl’s hair. And I didn’t die either. God what was I thinking. If I’d been wrong…. She looked at Jack, her expression a little horrified that if she’d been wrong… but Jack just smiled tenderly at her and patted her shoulder, every inch of him indicating he had every faith in her instincts.

“Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you home.” Jack told the girl and took her out of Sam’s arms to hug her tightly himself and carry her to the van they had grabbed from the motor pool.

Several hours later Sam and Janet were talking quietly in the officer’s lounge.

“Janet, I mean it. I’d love to adopt Cassie but you know I really can’t. What would I tell Aunt Marge? I’ve already dragged her halfway across the country because I needed someone to take care of Grace. I can’t force another child on her like that no matter how much I love Cassie.”

“She loves you so much though, Sam.”

“I know, and the colonel and I will talk to her about it. You’ve wanted kids for so long, Janet. I already have a daughter. And I know you love Cassie just as much as I do.”

Janet sighed. “This would be a lot easier if one of us was married.”

“Possibly or it might be harder.”

“What ever happened to Grace’s father?”

Sam shrugged. It was a question she was used to being asked and she could answer moderately truthfully as long as no one dug too much as she was terrible at lying and knew it. “It was a one night stand, Janet. I left him my number and he never called. If he ever finds out, I won’t lie to him about it though.”

“Do you even know his name?”

Sam nodded. “Yup.”

“So you could contact him if you wanted to.” Janet pressed.

“If it was necessary, yes.” Sam schooled her expression. Janet was bumping too close to the truth and she needed to change the subject but Janet would know she was changing the subject so she just hoped she didn’t ask any of the right questions.

“But you aren’t going to.” Janet concluded by Sam’s wary expression.

“I am not, no. I got the distinct impression he was going through a divorce when we met and I don’t want to interrupt his life if he’s happy now.”

“You’re nicer about it than I am.”

Sam shrugged.

* * *

Janet had left the park with Cassie and her new dog. The adoption was proceeding according to plan and Cassie was disappointed but understood and had been more enthusiastic when Janet had explained what godparents were and appointed Jack and Sam as such. They were also her legal guardians should something happen to Janet. Cassie, of course, had asked did that mean Jack and Sam would get married because the equivalent concept on her world was always a married couple. Sam had nervously blustered that she and the colonel were just friends. Jack had leaned in and whispered to the girl ‘for now’ which had made her grin ear to ear and high five Jack who was covered in dog fur.

“You okay with this, Sam? I know you well enough now to know if you could have, you would have adopted Cassie.” Jack asked her as they walked back to their cars together.

Sam nodded. “I would, but it wouldn’t have been fair to Grace and it definitely wouldn’t be fair to Aunt Marge. This way she can babysit if she likes, to pick up some extra money.”

“Wait, you aren’t paying her?” Jack asked surprised.

“She won’t let me.” Sam admitted.

Jack chuckled. “Everyone has that aunt.”

“Yah. You guys want to go get something to eat? I’m kind of candy and ice creamed out.” Sam admitted.

“Are you buying, Carter?” He asked her in amusement.

“I’m not the one with the high pay grade.” She said, a cheeky smirk on her face. “But I could spring for the tip.”

“Daniel can pay the tip. Go pick up Grace and we’ll grab some dinner.” Jack suggested.

“Are you sure, sir?” She asked him surprised.

“Yes and stop calling me sir in civvies. I told you it sounds kinky.”

Sam desperately tried not to giggle and failed.

“All right. Get it out of your system, Carter.”

“I’m sorry.” She tittered.

Jack stood patiently until she got herself under control. “Done now?”

“Sorry.” She snorted.

“We’ll go someplace kid friendly. How does Sandy’s sound?”

Sam grinned. “It sounds great actually.”

“Good. Wait until you see Teal’c with a baby. It’s a riot.” Jack told her and headed for his truck.

* * *

“So this is the elusive mini Carter, huh?” Jack said of the little girl in Sam’s arms. She was dozing sleepily on Sam’s shoulder

“Yah.” Sam said softly. “The car kind of makes her sleepy. She’ll wake up soon.”

“Pull up a chair.” He waved a waitress down and pointed to the sleepy toddler and she nodded indicating she understood Jack wanted a highchair. Jack gave her a thumbs up.

Sam sat down and accepted the menu Daniel handed to her.

“Carter, will you split the starter tray with us?”

“Sure, Jack.” She said smiling and went back to her menu.

Jack observed her out of the corner of his eye. She had mastered holding a sleeping child while doing other things as a skill. They ordered without incident and laughed about some of the things Cassie’s new dog had done today at the park. Sam had almost been in tears at Daniel’s vivid description of Jack picking the dog up from the rescue and it winding Jack’s legs so tightly with his leash that Jack had ended up on his ass in the grass and the dog on top of him licking anything he could reach.

Their orders came right about the time Grace woke up from her nap and decided she would literally rather be boiled than sit in the highchair. Then she decided Sam wasn’t allowed to eat either after refusing to eat herself.

When Sam’s patience started to wear out, Jack put out his hands to the little girl with a smile. “How about you come see Uncle Jack and let your mommy eat, kiddo.” He offered.

Grace stuffed a hand in her mouth and whimpered.

“Ah! I know just the thing.” Jack said and fished an ice cube out of his soda. “Someone is teething.” He held out the cube enticingly to the girl and grinned when she reached over to him to get it.

Sam gave him a grateful look and ate her now cold chicken while Jack fed Grace ice cubes for her sore tooth.

She sure was cute, Jack observed. Pretty light blond curls that would probably darken by the eyelashes and doe like eyes like her mom but instead of Sam’s vivid pale sapphire… Grace’s eyes were brown. Deep brown like his own. He glanced up at Daniel and Teal’c. Clearly neither of them noticed or if they did, didn’t make the connection as their little personal encounter was still only known by the two of them and no one else as far as Jack knew.

Sam ate her meal oblivious to her CO’s observations about his daughter and as just grateful that she got to eat it at all. Teal’c was playing peek-a-boo with Grace which was making Jack and Daniel laugh at the large stoic man’s behavior.

* * *

Jack followed Sam out after he’d settled their tab. “Got a minute, Carter?”

Sam turned. Grace was drowsy again as Jack had succeeded in getting her to eat some of his dinner having turned her nose up at her own. “Sure. What’s up?” Sam asked, turning her wide blue eyes up at him.

Jack swallowed. “Ah… that is… Carter…” Unable to articulate the direct question Jack finally blurted. “Grace has brown eyes.”

“Yes, she does.”

He jammed his hands into his coat pockets. “They’re the same color as mine, Carter.”

Sam drew back a little. She wasn’t ready for this. Not yet. “You do realize brown eyes are dominant, Jack? Most people have brown eyes.”

Jack’s mouth snapped shut as he pondered that. He frowned. “What color were her father’s eyes?” He asked, not ready to let things go.

Sam huffed in exasperation and fear. “Jack, until I walked into that briefing room I couldn’t have told you your eye color to save my life.”

Jack had the decency to flush in embarrassment to be reminded that they hadn’t really been examining each other for details that night. “Okay… look, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I thought... She’s a cute kid, Carter.” He stared at his shoes a moment then tells her. “I should go.” while bobbing his head stupidly and heads back for his truck.

Sam buckled Grace into the back and slid into the driver’s seat, her heart hammering in her chest. “Oh god.” She moaned and rested her head on the wheel a moment. She’d gotten through it without lying, had even told him outright he was the father without him realizing it but if Jack knew her better or spend any time thinking about their exchange, he was going to think a lot harder about the situation. Guilt clawed at her chest as she drove home.

I can’t tell him though, she thought. Not until I know for sure that he already loves her and isn’t just hanging around out of obligation because if that’s the reason he might take me off SG-1 or out of the program or worse.

She managed to get home, get Grace to bed, and get into her own bed before the tears started. She never should have taken this assignment. Worse… Jack was strong and kind and good and Sam was worried the casual flirting was more than just casual flirting and if it was, how far would things go?

* * *

A few short miles away, Jack opened a beer and slugged back half of it before going upstairs to sit on his observation deck. You idiot, he told himself. You made an ass of yourself back there. And the worst part was… a little voice in his heart told him you only accused her of what you did because a big honkin’ chunk of you _wants_ to be that baby girl’s daddy.

“Oh, shut your yap.” He told his heart. “Sam can do way better than me and should.”


	7. Happy Birthday Baby

“It’s against regulations” Jack had yelped.

Oh if you only knew Daniel, that cat was out of the bag at the start, Sam thought. And then they had snuck off to solve the problem themselves anyway and Daniel had almost died… again. Sam wasn’t sure how much more of that Jack could take. He’d burst into tears when his best friend had appeared unharmed in the Gate room. Oh, he’d been very manly about it but Daniel’s collar had been wet and honestly so had Jack’s. Daniel had thought them dead as well at first.

Sam was decompressing on her couch, exhausted when Aunt Marge had come in and made her a hot tea. “Rough week, dear?” Sam had been gone without notice which she’d warned Marge might happen from time to time with her classified position in Deep Space Radar Telemetry though Marge hadn’t the foggiest idea why running a telescope program would involve travel or disappearing for days on end.

“You could say that.” Sam said with a sigh.

“Does the telescope fight back, dear? You keep coming home scraped and bruised.”

Sam smiled and chuckled a little as she drank the tea. “Some days it does.”

“Well, I don’t mean to be a pest but what are you doing about Catherine Grace’s birthday next week?”

Sam groaned. She’d forgotten about it altogether. I’m a terrible mother, she decided. “I don’t know. She’s only two so she has a couple daycare friends and Cassie. I thought I’d just invite my team and Janet and Cassie over for a cookout.” It was early spring but the weather looked like it would hold and if not she could cram everyone inside and bake hotdogs in the oven she supposed.

“Your friends seem fond of her, especially that nice Colonel you work with.”

“Aunt Marge, stop trying to fix me up with my boss. It’s against regulations.”

“I don’t think that’s going to ultimately matter, dear. He likes you very much. I know it isn’t obvious to young people but I’ve been around the block so many times they named the corner after me.” Marge told her primly which made Sam snort in mirth.

“Please do not have this conversation with my boss, Aunt Marge.”

Marge tutted. “Won’t matter if I do or don’t. A man that loves your child is worth considering.”

Sam sighed. She wasn’t wrong. Jack was a good man and if the situation were different she’d be encouraging his interest, especially as it was mutual. But he was her CO and one or both of them would literally lose their job if they did anything about their mutual attraction and got caught.

Of course… if they didn’t get caught… Sam’s cheeks flushed. She couldn’t believe she was even considering the idea. The whole thing was problematic anyway as he was going to be really ticked off if he slept with her again and found out he has a daughter from the last time. Sam bit her lip.

“All right, what’s going on in that head of yours, dear.” Aunt Marge asked her. Having a good guess at what exactly as she’d planted the idea there intentionally then watched the play of emotions over her niece’s face.

“I think I’ll invite the team, Janet and Cassie. Grace won’t remember any of it anyway so I’ll have Daniel takes some photos.” Sam said thoughtfully. “Just hot dogs chips and cake.”

Marge shook her head. Thinking about party plans didn’t make a woman blush unless the party involved only two people and an utter lack of sensible clothing. Sam deserved to be happy and Catherine Grace needed a father. Marge wasn’t attached to the idea of the biological father being involved as he’d not bothered to stick around clearly. A good father wasn’t always the man that made your child.

Ignoring Sam’s obvious lie, Marge gave Sam a break. “Do you need me to handle anything?”

“Could you design me a fake bakery sticker? The guys haven’t realized the stuff I bring to team night is stuff I made myself. I don’t want them bugging me about baking them stuff all the time.”

“Absolutely dear and I think I know just the logo.”

“Nothing obviously related to the program, Aunt Marge.” Sam warned her.

Marge chuckled.

* * *

Marge and Cassie had strung balloons and streamers around Sam’s small living room. The weather had taken a turn for rain so Daniel and Jack had shown up with Teal’c soaking wet with Jack’s leather coat over the gifts to keep them dry.

Sam let the guys in and went to get Jack a towel as he was soaked through and not that Sam minded the view as his t-shirt was clinging to his chest intriguingly but now wasn’t really the time. She was a little startled then that he’d silently followed her down the hall to the linen closet. “Um, I’d dry your shirt for you but I don’t have anything your size for you to put on during.” She said as she handed him a fluffy pale green towel.

“I’ll have to bring a few things over then.” He grinned at her deer in the headlights look. “Danny and I wear the same size mostly; my stuff hangs on him a little but it fits.” He leaned his elbow on the wall while he scrubbed at his hair with the towel, leaving the short dark blond strands tousled. “Mind if I borrow your bathroom to dry off the rest of the way and wring out my shirt?”

“Oh! Yah, sure.” She told him and moved to let him by but he leaned in smiling slightly. “Thank you for inviting us, Carter.” He said as he trailed his fingers around the outer edge of her ear and settled against her cheek. He moved closer as his face lowered to hers, his eyes on her lips that she nervously wet with her tongue.

“Hey Sam! The oven is beeping!” Daniel yelled from the kitchen.

“Be right there!” She called back. But when she looked at Jack, his expression was closed again and he was moving away to borrow her bathroom.

With a frustrated sigh, Sam went to the kitchen to get the dogs into the oven.

In her bathroom, Jack pulled off his shirt and tried to wring it out as much as possible before laying it on the towel bar and drying his chest and back. He needed to get a handle on his feelings for his second. The other Sam and Jack had sacrificed themselves to save their world. He and Sam almost had too. Jack decided to actively make friends with Sam’s aunt. If anything should ever happen to Sam, he wanted to stay in Grace’s life so she’d grow up knowing her mom was the bravest and second craziest person he knew. Daniel topped his crazy list currently.

Deciding there wasn’t much else he could do about it, he shrugged on his damp shirt and headed back to the party.

He promptly ran into Sam’s aunt and a plan suddenly formed in his mind. The older woman wasn’t much more than a decade older than him, having been Sam’s mom’s younger sister. Marge’s shoulder length mouse brown hair was straight and pulled back into a ponytail at her neck. Her wide eyes had the same shape as Sam but were a vaguely green color that might be grey or light brown. They wouldn’t stay put color wise. She still wore long peasant skirts and apparently the matching embroidered tops. She lacked Sam’s dimples but had her engaging smile which she turned on Jack full bore.

“Jack, right?” Marge asked him.

Jack nodded. “Yah, I’m Sam’s CO.” He provided.

“That I knew. Don’t tell her I told you, but she thinks you’re hilarious.” Marge told him conspiratorially.

“Well, she’s two.” Jack said pretending not to understand.

Marge giggled and her eyes twinkled, seeing right through him but deciding to play along. “She has very pretty brown eyes too.”

“Yah… I… noticed that.” Jack said uncomfortably. He and Sam had been over this and she’d denied his accusation. If he was, theoretically as she’d say, she didn’t know for sure. Or… his mind whispered… didn’t know him well enough yet to know he’d be a good father. Yah well who could blame her. It’s one thing to screw a guy and another to let him parent your kid. And now Jack was having vague doubts and it must have shown on his face because Marge smiled gently at him.

“Sam is a smart girl, Jack, and a good person. She’d never hurt anyone intentionally, even if they were hurting her.”

“Yah, I heard about the ex. He was assigned to our base for a while.”

“Sam told me he died.”

Jack smiled savagely. “He went nuts on a mission and the natives took him out. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

Marge smiled back. “You I like. You’re a lot less stuffy than most COs. Including Sam’s dad.”

Jack smiled in amusement. For a flower child Marge had a savage streak herself. She also smelled vaguely of pot. “Haven’t met the guy yet.” He admitted.

“Oh you’re in for a real treat then.” She said giggling.

Grace marched into the hallway looking for her guests. “Unka Jack! Aunt Marge! Why in da hahway?” She demanded of them.

“Carter attitude.” Marge muttered which made Jack choke back a laugh.

“Come here, little miss bossy britches.” Jack said, scooping her up and plopping her on his shoulders. “I’m giving you a pass because it’s your birthday but tomorrow you’re to be a proper airman.” He ordered her.

“Yes sir!” She said promptly than giggled the same way her aunt and mother did. “I lobe you, Unka Jack.”

“It’s a good thing you’re cute, you little twerp.” He said laughing as she planted a wet kiss on his forehead. “Where’s your mom?”

“Dat way.” She supplied pointing vaguely at the kitchen.

“Well, let’s go find her.”

Marge watched them smiling. If that wasn’t that girl’s father she was a monkey’s uncle. She’d keep that to herself though. It was Sam’s business if she told him or not. What rotten luck to be stuck in such a situation for them both. It was pretty obvious to her that if he had the choice, Jack would gladly get romantically involved with Sam again.

* * *

Jack and Grace found Sam cutting up tomatoes for the salad and reached one hand around her and plucked the knife away. “Go spend time with your guests, Carter. I’ve got this.”

“Sir.” She protested.

“Ah! None of that kinky stuff around the twerp.” He told her.

“I not twewp! Moma tell unka Jack I not twewp!” Grace demanded.

“You are too a twerp, stinky.” Cassie told her as she came into the kitchen to grab a bowl of chips. “Daniel is hogging the BBQ chips.” She complained and rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Tell Space Monkey, make sure you call him that, that if he doesn’t share the good chips I’m hiding his good coffee.” Jack told Cassie who laughed and took Grace off Jack’s shoulders for him so he could finish the tomatoes.

“I not twep. I not twep!” Gracie muttered mutinously, making the adults laugh when in retaliation Cassie flipped Grace upside down and shook her.

“Twerp, twerp, stinky twerp.” Cassie sang carrying the little girl out by her ankles.

“I not! I not!”

“Yuh huh!”

“You twep!”

“No, you’re a twerp.” Their voices faded into the other room.

Sam snorted in amusement.

“They get along well.” Jack said.

“Yah. I know Cassie wasn’t happy about it at first but I think she likes having a little cousin more than a little sister.” Sam agreed.

“You can go home from your cousins.” Jack said amused. “Do you need me to cut up anything else? Cukes? Radishes?” Regulations, he thought smiling warmly at her.

Something about his expression made her blush. “Um… there’s a cucumber in the crisper.”

Jack grinned at her as he handed her the bowl of chips Cassie had abandoned. “Go be a good hostess, Carter. I’ve got this.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve cut up vegetables before, Sam.”

“No… it’s just that...”

“Carter.” He purred. “We’re standing barefoot in your kitchen; my shirt is still wet and your sweater looks like it’s made out of a cloud. Please leave before I stop cutting vegetables for the salad and start kissing you instead.” He said to her softly, his eyes locked on her lips that she was licking nervously.

It was one thing to sleep with a random guy and another to play tonsil hockey with the same guy when he was your CO. She took the chips from him and fled to the family room.

Jack sighed. For just a moment, he’d almost thought she’d give in to what was going on between them but she’d opted to flee for now instead. Probably for the best. There was a house full of people and they might notice incriminating moans coming from her bedroom. Because god he still wanted her. The worst of it was he was starting to care about her too and that was a terrible combination given the situation. He wished to hell West hadn’t taken her off the program the first time. She never would have been so angry about her situation that she opted for casual sex and he wouldn’t be struggling with his feelings for her because he would have met her while he was still married. Mostly. Plus she never would have liked the man that left for Abydos.

Jack grabbed the cuke out of the fridge and started cutting it into bite size chunks. He knew the salad was mostly for Grace who was going through a vegetarian stage. The hot dogs in the oven were starting to smell pretty good and Jack noted how much time was left. He glanced at her dining area table where all the fixings for salad and hot dogs were ready, so he put his pile of tomatoes and cuke chunks into bowls and put them next to the shredded carrots and cabbage.

Sam was sitting on the arm rest of her couch next to Daniel who had an arm casually around her back. Jack smiled in amusement. To anyone else, they looked like a cute couple. But Sam was about as interested in Daniel as Daniel was in Sam… pretty much absolutely zero. Aunt Marge was bouncing Grace on her lap and Cassie was sitting at her feet, Janet’s hand affectionately running her fingers through Cassie’s hair.

Jack couldn’t think of two little girls he loved more than Grace and Cassie. He had to admit, there wasn’t a person in that room he didn’t love. Even Aunt Marge was growing on him.

The oven timer beeped on him and he grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out the perfectly baked wieners. He quickly transferred them to a platter and took them to the other room. “Chow’s on, kids.” He announced as he put the platter down.

Daniel was first to the table.

“Ah! Birthday girl gets her chow first, yah louts.” Randomly badly imitating his great grandma’s thick accent at the end of the sentence.

“Unka Jack. No like hodogs.” She insisted.

Jack bent down and grinned. “Good thing we have salad then, kiddo.” He stood back up and started filling her plate with every vegetable available.

“No dwessing!”

“Okay okay. You’re way pushier than your mom you know that?” Jack groused which made Sam chuckle and Aunt Marge crack up.

“That’s all her grandfather.” Marge told Jack.

“Kind of figured.” Jack muttered as he handed Grace her plate. “Okay, now you pigs can eat.” He told the rest of them.

Daniel and Marge filled their plates followed by Janet and Cassie. Teal’c graciously waved Sam ahead of him but Jack knew it was because Teal’c ate enough for three people and wanted to make sure Sam ate first.

Grace plowed through her salad quickly so Sam let her open her gifts that ranged from practical to whimsical. Jack had bought her one of those space guns that makes various laser noises. Sam raised an eyebrow at him and he grinned at her. “I bought one for everyone.” He told her.

Sam bit her lower lip trying not to laugh. They were going to look like lunatics in the park with kids laser guns.

Grace’s cake was from Sam’s ‘special’ bakery though this time there was a torn sticker with a pink sticker that said _Nielsen Bakers_ on it. When Sam had asked her if she thought she was being funny Aunt Marge had reminded Sam that it was her idea and if challenged, Sam could lie and say her aunt had baked everything and didn’t want the guys bugging her for treats. This had earned the eccentric woman a glare from her niece that she returned with mild amusement.

* * *

Daniel had taken Teal’c back to base. Jack was hitching a ride with Janet as his house was the other way and only a short detour for her. As Janet and Marge had set up the guys had helped with clean up and Jack was the last to leave, Janet and Cassie were in the car waiting on Jack to say goodnight.

“You throw a pretty mean party, Carter.” Jack said chuckling. Grace was passed out on the floor spread-eagled, the stuffed puppy Daniel had gotten her flopped on her chest. “Need me to put that thing in her bed?” He asked grinning.

“I’ll handle it. Thank you for your help tonight.” Sam said softly, almost shyly.

“Any time, Carter.” Of their own volition his hands slid into her hair again. “I mean it.” And for the life of him he wasn’t certain if he meant helping her or how he felt but his head dipped down and Sam leaned in rather than pull back and he found himself claiming her lips slowly, gently. She melted into him and Jack growled with need.

Janet leaned on her horn in the driveway and Jack pulled back and sighed. “I have to go.” He told her.

Sam blinked up at Jack and bit her lip. “Jack…”

But he shook his head and stroked her lower lip with his thumb. “Later.” He promised her and left. He knew they needed to talk about this but now wasn’t the time. Things were easier at work where the regulations and uniforms reminded him not to drag her into a supply closet and ravish her.

Jack turned and left.

Sam locked the door behind him and struggled with her own feelings, not the smallest of which was guilt.


	8. Lines

“Is she going to be all right?” Marge asked Jack. They had agreed to meet at the diner around the corner from Sam’s house. Janet had Grace today. Cassie had wanted a play date and everyone agreed Sam needed some time to process.

Jack sighed. “I wish I knew, Marge. They really did a number on her. I have her in counseling on base but… There’s a reason we don’t want her left alone.”

“Jack… what did they do to her?”

Jack just shook his head though. “You know I can’t give you classified information like that, Marge. I’m sorry.”

Marge bit her lip the same way Sam did. “Is it safe to leave her with Grace?”

Jack thought about that for a long time. “I’m pretty sure it is. I don’t think they meant to traumatize her this way, it was more of an unintentional side effect of the experiment.” Jack was dancing around what happened pretty hard but there wasn’t much he could do about that. He and Danny and Teal’c could take turns staying with Sam until she was herself again but, in all reality, none of them knew when or if Sam would ever be the same again. Jack had turned his back on Jolinar’s trick with bile in his mouth because he thought he was going to have to tell Grace her mommy died. They wouldn’t have been able to let Sam out ever if the snake hadn’t died.

“Jack…” Marge started, her expression so like Sam’s when she was upset and trying to wrap her mind around why someone she loves is hurt. She took his hand.

Jack squeezed her hand back. “Marge, we’ll do everything we can to help her. I promise.” And his eyes told her what his words couldn’t. That Jack had a vested interest Sam getting well again.

Marge gave him a worried frown.

Jack laced his fingers together then spread his hands palm upward and looked down at his hands, his lips a grim line. He looked up at Sam’s aunt. “Marge, there’s another reason I wanted to talk to you privately.”

“Oh?”

“This probably won’t be the last time Carter is in extreme danger. We’ve already almost lost Danny twice…” his voice trailed off and one of his hands folded into a fist. “There’s no guarantee Sam will come back from every mission.”

Marge nodded. “You guys aren’t working on a telescope, are you?”

Jack sighed. “Not exclusively and… I won’t ever not make every effort to bring her home but…”

“Jack, I get it. I’ve lived with this ever since Debbie started dating Jake, you know.”  
“I know I know it’s just… Marge, I know I don’t have any right to ask this of you but if something does happen to Sam… Even though I’m not Grace’s father…”

“You’d like to stay in her life.”

Jack nodded. His mouth again a grim line.

Marge smiled softly at him and took his hand gently again. “Jack, I really don’t have anyone else. Mark never really forgave me for defending Sam’s decision to follow her father into the Air Force. Debbie and I didn’t have any cousins. It’s just been me and Sam and Jake for a long time.” She shrugged. “And if Jake doesn’t pull through well…”

Jack frowned. That possibility had occurred to him when Sam said her dad had cancer. Even the best prognosis could sour quickly.

“Jack, I don’t have a crystal ball and neither do you. But I will tell you this. If something happens to Sam, you’re the closest thing to a father Grace has and, more importantly, you love her mom.” Jack started to protest and she waved it off. “You love Sam and if something happens to her the thing Grace will need most is the man who loved her mother. Even if he’s not her biological father.” She smiled at him. “And I won’t tell her either.” And I won’t say anything about what I believe unless I don’t have a choice anymore. She thought sadly.

Jack looked at her, surprised that Marge would be willing to keep her observation about his feelings for Sam to herself. “Okay, why?”

“Because it’s your decision if you talk to her or not. She loves being on your team. She’s admitted you’re the best CO she’s ever had. I know what happens when military people try to navigate a relationship in public. Whatever you two decide, your privacy is safe with me, Jack, and it always will be.” She grinned. “I’m a big fan of sticking it to the man.”

Jack grinned back.

“And it’s not any of my business, of course, but lots of people in the military have a very quiet and private relationship until the mission is over.”

Jack huffed a sigh. “I don’t think this command is going to be over for a while, Marge.”

Marge shrugged and tilted her head. “Well then I suppose you need to be extremely discreet then.” She grinned a little. “And you should make sure she knows how you feel, Jack.”

Jack’s expression turned serious. “I’ll think about it. I don’t want to put her in a situation that if the birth father comes back that she feels trapped.”

Marge grinned. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

Jack gave her a curious look and his only reply was beaming grin.

“So I know you can’t tell me what you do so tell me about the people you work with instead. Besides Janet, Daniel and Teal’c.”

“Well, there’s Siler and Al and Walter and our CO Hammond plus Lou and…”


	9. Window to the Soul

Jack had taken Cassie and Grace out for ice cream and returned with a passed out toddler on his shoulder a couple hours later. Marge met him at Sam’s door. “How is she?”

Marge sighed and blew her sparse bangs out of her eyes. “It hasn’t been a good day.” She admitted.

“How so?” He asked, his voice concerned.

Marge bit the inside of her cheek and looked skyward. “How about I take Grace for a little while? She’s just not herself, Jack, and I don’t know what to do.” She admitted.

Jack nodded. “All right. I’ll call you later, okay?”

Marge nodded, her expression bordering on miserable. She gave Jack a kiss on his cheek as she took Grace and settled the little girl on her own slender shoulder. “Daniel said he’d come by after dinner so you and I don’t make her feel like she’s being held prisoner.”

Jack squeezed her shoulder. He knew Marge was saying let’s compare notes privately.

Jack watched Marge and Grace leave and went into the house. Sam was sitting on the floor by the doorwall, her head against the glass. She was still in her pajamas. Didn’t look like she’d showered either.

Jack gingerly sat down across from her and put his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. “How’s it going, Carter?”

“Go away, sir.” She mumbled without looking at him.

“You are very underdressed to be getting kinky with me, Sam.” He joked but she didn’t smile like she usually would and his heart broke for her.

Jack watched her for a few moments before coming to a decision. He scooted over to her and sat next to her. “C’mere” he said softly and offered his shoulder.

Sam stared at him mutely for a moment then flung herself against his shoulder. He tucked her against him and buried his face in her shoulder. “I don’t know who I am anymore, Jack.” Her body shook as she cried.

His arms tightened around her. “You’re Sam. You’re my Samantha.” He said softly.

“Jack?”

But Jack just sighed. It was always a bad time. Last time it was Grace’s birthday. There had just been too much going on and now no matter how much he wanted to tell her his feelings she wasn’t in any shape to have that conversation. “So tell me how I can help.” He told her and kissed her hair.

She sighed against his shoulder. “I keep hearing her voice in my head, pointing things out. Telling me what she thinks even though I know she’s dead.” Sam shook her head. Like just now Jolinar’s voice telling her that Jack was in love with her but that was ridiculous. Jack was just being a good friend. Daniel and Teal’c had held and hugged her too and Jolinar hadn’t made the same observation. How does a dead Tok’ra talk to you still?

“You know, it’s funny… When my gramps died, I had the same problem. Kept hearing him in my head. Makin’ jokes, noticing stuff out of the corner of my eye. Telling me to bring him a beer.”

Sam let out a watery chuckle.

“Sam, I won’t pretend to understand what you went thought but I do know the disconcerting feeling that someone dead is still talking to you. Pulling things out of your head. But the stuff Gramps remembered were all things I still remembered. The stuff he pointed out were things I could see if I just turned my head a bit. I guess what I’m saying Sam is it feels like her voice but it’s you.”

Sam nodded miserably. “I guess it would be easier if it was someone I’d known but… Jack, I don’t know this woman and I have hundreds of years of her memories that just pop up randomly and not all of them are good.”

He kissed her temple. “So it would be like being in my head, huh.”

Sam chuckled halfheartedly.

“That’s better.” He said softly and squeezed her. “Sam, the longer you’re in this, the more likely it is you will have some pretty horrible memories. Memories that break some soldiers. But you are stronger than this.” He tilted up her face so she looked into his eyes. “You, Captain Doctor Samantha Marie Carter are stronger than this.”

She bit her lip. “How can you be so sure?”

“Sam, I’ve twice seen you stand up to a rapist. I’ve seen you willfully choose pain to save your best friend and I’ve seen you personally take down a Goa’uld queen nearly single handedly. You. You, Sam, are so much stronger than this.” His hands cupped her face. “And I will be here for you every single step of the way.” His eyes pleading for her to understand what he couldn’t tell her.

“Jack.” She said, her eyes large and shiny with tears.

He glanced at her lips and tucked her head back against his shoulder. “I’ll be here for you, Sam. I promise.”

“Okay.” She agreed softly.

“Okay.” He said and they sat that way for a while, just holding each other. She wasn’t over what happened. Not by a long shot but she believed in herself again and that was a start in Jack’s eyes. Hopefully with everyone’s support and the kids making her smile she’d be right as rain as his grandma used to say in no time. He needed her to be. He knew he was falling for her before, but he hadn’t realized how much until they had sat in those dead in the air gliders. Sam was so worried about getting home until he’d told her to look up at the earth and her voice had faltered in awe of how beautiful it was. If there was one thing he vowed to do, it was to make sure he always got her home to her kid or die trying.


	10. Hook & Loop

“All right... easy… you aren’t in any shape to move quickly.” Sam was telling Jack. His shoulder still hurt like hell.

“Ah!” Jack yelped in pain when he jostled his arm. “Dammit Carter.” He growled.

Sam hadn’t been anywhere near his shoulder so his complaining was just having her as a target so she ignored it. She helped ease him onto her love seat. “Janet said you’d need something for the pain by the time I got you back home.”

“I’m sorry to take up your time and home, Sam.”

“Quit worrying about it. The only way you could stay at home was if Daniel or Teal’c stayed with you. I’ll go get your kit out of my trunk. Stay put, sir.” She admonished him.

“Stop that.” He muttered.

“You’re still in uniform.” She said with gentle amusement, kissed the top of his head and headed for the front door, leaving behind a mystified Jack. It wasn’t that she hadn’t kissed him before, there had been a few over the last few months. Not to mention the holding each other at night while prisoners on Terella. He’d begged Daniel to release Sam so she could go home to her kid. Of course, Daniel hadn’t but that didn’t mean anything. He’d been so inebriated on sarcophagus juice he was out of his gourd.

Jack heard Sam talking to someone and a tiny familiar voice squealed “Unka Jack!” before he was summarily attacked.

“Hey kiddo.” Jack greeted her and winced when she plowed into him, jarring his shoulder again but he gritted his teeth and didn’t cuss.

“Honestly, Jack you guys are gone for a month and then Sam disappears on base for days and you come back like this. Stop picking fights with the telescope.” Marge told him, a twinkle in her bright hazel eyes.

“Very funny, Marge.” Jack groused.

“Grace! Get off Uncle Jack! He’s injured!” Sam admonished her daughter and made to pluck the two and a half year old off her CO but Jack’s arm tightened. The only thing he needed more than Sam right now was a dose of Grace or Cassie. Preferably both.

“She’s fine, Carter. Just need my meds.” He said, his voice tight with suppressed pain.

“I’ll put your stuff in the guest room, Jack.” Marge told him and kissed the top of his head the same way Sam had.

“Okay, this is getting weird.” Jack said under his breath.

“Unka Jack!” Grace said, patting his cheek.

“Yes your worshipfulness?” He quipped.

“How do hurd?” She asked pointing to his sling on his left arm.

“I got stabbed by a ball.” He told her.

“Dat’s silly.” Grace told him with a frown.

“It was a very aggressive ball.” He argued.

“Mama! How Unka Jack hurd?”

“He got stabbed by a mean ball.” Sam told her as she put toys away so Jack wouldn’t stumble over anything.

Grace scowled, clearly convinced her mother and favorite uncle were lying to her. “Makin fun me.” She said mutinously.

Jack thought for a moment. “Carter, is it just me or is Grace’s speech pattern a bit unusually advanced?”

Sam shrugged. “Seems in the normal range to me.”

“Sam, you’re a genius. Your normal is a bit further up the ladder than most of us.”

Sam chuckled. “She’s a little above average if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Let me guess, her father was some genius like you.”

Sam hummed. “Well, not quite like me.” She said in amusement.

“Ah! So you do know who it was.” He said in triumph.

Sam made a dismissive gesture as she handed him his pills and a glass of water. “Of course I know. What kind of a woman do you take me for?”

“Hot one.” He said with a grin and swallowed his pills dutifully.

Marge giggled. “I’m going to grab some groceries, guys. Anything you need?”

“Fwoot woops!” Gracie announced.

“I second that and beer.”

“No beer. Not on those horse pills Janet gives you.” Sam told him.

“Carter, I am a grown man.”

Sam raised her eyebrow.

“Fine.” Jack drew out and pouted.

“Yah... grown. I’ll give you my list, Aunt Marge. Better get a couple boxes of Fruit Loops.” She lowered her voice. “Get him some junk food too. He loves potato chips and French onion dip.”

“I’ll do one better. I’ll make him some dip myself.” Marge said, her voice also low.

Sam grinned at her aunt. “Suck up.” She said chuckling.

“I can hear you talking about me, you two!” Jack yelled.

“Want candy.” Gracie told Jack.

“Yah get candy.” Jack agreed.

“You two have a preference? Marge asked, amused.

“Chokiit!”

“Anything sour and some snickerdoodles from that great bakery.”

Sam and Marge exchanged a look. “I got it.” Marge told Sam under her breath as she took the list. “I’ll be back! She called to the family room in her best Govonator voice. She patted Sam’s shoulder in amusement. “I’ll see what I can do, doll.” She said, with a grin.

Sam chuckled and shook her head. It looked like Aunt Marge was going home to bake a few cookies too.

“Saammm…” Jack whined.

She came back to the couch and gave him that sweet concerned smile he’d come to associate with the Carter women, though technically, Marge wasn’t a Carter. What was Marge’s last name anyway?

“Did you need something, sir?”

Jack was having a hard time staying focused as the pain medication took effect. “I forgot.” He admitted.

“Unka Jack forgitted.” Grace informed Sam and patted Jack’s arm consolingly.

Sam chuckled. “His medicine has that effect.” She told her daughter whose head was snuggled in Jack’s good shoulder. “Are you all right? If she gets too heavy let me know.”

Jack hummed sleepily. “Nope. She’s fine.” He smiled. He remembered Sam holding his hand in spite of the pain.

“Would you like me to turn on the TV? No sports, you get too wound up but there might be a documentary on?”

“Oh… yah… remote. Wanted the remote.” He gave her a slightly loopy smile Sam was familiar with. He patted the seat next to him.

“Not in your condition.” She told him and started looking for something to watch.

“Saaaammmm….” He sing songed.

“Sir. You’re a little loopy.”

“Qui… callin’ me sir… Carter.”

Sam chuckled. “You never changed.” She reminded him.

Grace poked at Jack’s name tag only to discover it was attached with hook and loop tape. She took great joy in removing it and putting it back on, then removing it again.

Sam giggled at Jack’s amused smile at the sound. “Good to know you are both so easily amused.”

Jack patted the couch again.

She gave him a long significant look. She knew better than to trust the invitation in his eyes. She sat down on the carpet by his knee though and smiled softly when his hand found her hair and gently stroked her.

Two hours later Marge let herself in when no one came to the door when she pulled up. She smiled at the three of them cuddled together, sound asleep while the TV flickered softly in the background. Marge put away the food and placed the box of cookies on the dining room table with a note. “With love, Marge” before leaving the house.

They made a cute family, she thought as she drove home. She’d wait and see but she bet if she convinced Jake they were good for each other he’d figure out a way for Sam and Jack to be together. Be a family for Grace.


	11. Best kept secrets

Sam bit her lip while she watched over her dad’s blending.

“I have every confidence Selmak and your father will have a successful blending, Samantha.”

She shook her head sadly though. “It’s not that… Martouf… I…”

“Yes Samantha?” He said to her, his voice hopeful.

“Jolinar… Jolinar loved you so much, Martouf.” She said. “And I understand your love transcends your blending but… Well. That is…” Sam sighed.

“Samantha, you are so much like Rosha it is nearly painful to know she did not survive.”

Sam nodded miserably. “Jolinar missed her as well. It’s just… Martouf…”

“Yes Samantha?”

“I have a daughter, Martouf.”

“Oh. I see.” He thought for a long moment. “And the father?”

“Loves his daughter very much. I’d never separate them, Martouf, and I won’t give up my daughter.”

“I see.” Disappointment filled his voice.

“So you see why even though… that we can never…” Sam said in a rush.

“And do you also love her father?”

Sam sighed and looked away. “I… Well, it’s complicated. We can’t be together.”

“And yet?” Martouf asked, sensing there was more to the story here and feeling he had a right to know because she’d been blended with his mate.

“Jolinar… said he loves me.”

“When you were blended.”

“Yes and... after.”

“I still don’t understand the problem, Samantha. If you can’t be with him what difference does it make if he loves you or not?”

“Yah… that’s a big part of the problem.”

“Oh. Oh I see.” Martouf said, finally catching on that Sam wouldn’t admit out loud that she was falling in or was already in love with the father of her child.

“Right, so you see why I can’t just stay.” She said nervously.

“Oh, yes of course.” He didn’t really. Did not he have a larger claim on her heart?

Sam bit her lip and looked at her dad who seemed to be stirring.

Selmak opened her eyes and looked at Sam. “Your father is slightly disoriented. He will speak to you in a moment.”

The glow faded when her father’s head dipped and came back up. “Sam?”

“Dad? How are you feeling?”

“I feel great but we need to get out of here. Now.”

As they ran down the shaking hallways to the gate Jake looked at Sam hard. “Sam.”

“Kind of busy right now, Dad.” She said as she dialed quickly.

“Sam, this is important.”

Sam blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Can it wait, Dad?”

Jacob shrugged. “Yah, I suppose so.” He said agreeably. But he’d overheard the tail of her conversation with Martouf. And with the sudden clarity of a two thousand year old Tok’ra, Jacob Carter knew who the father of his youngest granddaughter was. He’d need to keep an eye on that. If the man was worthy of his daughter then so be it. If not, he’d have her transferred away from his command so fast both their heads would spin.

Sam had been doing just fine on her own the last couple years and didn’t need some crazy screwball throwing her career in a blender. Selmak, though, reminded him that so far, George trusted the man implicitly with Sam’s safety and surely George was smart enough to know if there was something going on and if it was prudent to put a stop to it or not.

Jake sighed. At least it wasn’t that jackass Hanson. Selmak admonished him for his language and Jacob mentally flipped her off which was greeted with tinkling laughter.

* * *

They stood around the Gate room saying goodbyes when Jacob leaned over and said under his breath to Sam, “We still haven’t had that talk, Sam.”

She looked at him curious.

“I overheard your conversation with Martouf.”

Sam blushed.

“There’s not really time now, but you and I need to have a talk.” And his eyes cut to Jack who was talking to Garshaw.

Sam swallowed.

Jacob went over to talk to George.

After the Tok’ra left, Jack strolled back over to Sam. “So what did Dad want?”

“Huh?”

“When I was talking to Garshaw.”

“Oh… um… Nothing important, he ah, just wanted to ask me something.” She shrugged uncomfortably. “I have work to do, sir.”

“Oh… oh sure… Get back to work, Carter… invent something… useful.”

Sam nodded and all but darted out of the room.

Well, what the hell was that all about, Jack thought.


	12. Like a bad penny

“You see, Colonel, the year is now…2077.” Trofski told him.

Gone? Everyone is gone? Everyone? Pain squeezed around Jack’s heart. Sam… Daniel… Cassie... Grace… Even Teal’c. Gone. Grace had grown up without her mom or him to be there for her. She might still be alive but he didn’t want them to know… know what… that he’d been in love with her mother? Sam was dead. Seventy nine years… Sam had been gone seventy nine years.

“How are you feeling, Colonel?” Raully asked him

“A bit confused.” he admitted.

Trofski told him he’d been asleep for seventy nine years. As though he couldn’t do subtraction in his head.

They let him up and around. Someone called over the PA that there was a briefing on Level six… Level six was NORAD not SGC. Briefings happened on 27… And George had never announced them. Had things changed that much? If it had, why have him down here near the Gate? And why would they let him into the Gate room? That wasn’t USAF procedure at all.

He asked about his team again only to be met with a half assed answer. They couldn’t pull up electronic records? That seemed… unlikely. What had they done to Sam? How had she really died? Was she even dead? Jack needed answers.

He played along while they asked him about the Nox and the Asgard. They should have this information already. Been working with them all along even if both races were loath to give them technology surely in nearly eighty years humans would have proven themselves at least slightly worthy to Thor at least.

When they let him rest and left the room, Jack snagged the tube and stopped the fluid. He hoped it didn’t have one of those volume alarms on it like the IV poles Janet used that caught him out when he tried to pinch off his morphine but he didn’t trust what was in that IV line. He didn’t trust these people who claimed this was the SGC.

More importantly there was a nick missing from the Gate. He knew it because he absently put his thumb on it all the time because it cracked him up that it had been nicked by that ball thing a couple months ago… months ago to him… Please be alive Carter. He thought grimly. His heart squeezing in his chest.

* * *

In an identical room, Sam woke to the same news, that seventy nine years had passed and everyone she loves was dead. Her eyes welled up. Her baby, her little girl had grown up without her or Jack to be there for her, love her. Even if she was still alive she probably had no memory of either of her parents. Only what Aunt Marge had taught her. Did she know the truth or at least suspect it? Would she have told Grace she’d lost both her parents so she wouldn’t waste her life looking for a father who was also dead. Uncle George knew Aunt Marge was fond of Jack and would tell her the truth that they had both died.

Sam sighed. If everyone she loved was gone the best she could do was help.

But she didn’t want to relive this. Daniel had almost died. She didn’t want to relive any of this.

* * *

He’d been fairly sure something was up but even Jack had learned just enough Goa’uld to understand one of them had said something along the lines of ‘where did they go?’ Where did who go? Snakes weren’t very gender specific with their pronouns.

After taking care of the orderly and putting on his clothes, Jack dragged the unconscious man off to the side where he wouldn’t be quickly seen. He shook his head trying to clear it of the chemicals as he avoided Jaffa patrols. This was nuts. He finally came to another door that was marked like his had been and used his purloined keycard to open the door. The orderly was busy messing with something on the machines hooked up to… His heart leapt in his chest. Carter! He grabs a nearby canister and wallops the orderly from behind, knocking him out cold.

“Carter… Carter!” he whispers urgently to her. He starts pulling tubes out.

Her eyes flutter open and he puts a finger to his lips, cautioning her to be silent.

“I thought you were dead.” She whispered to him, her heart in her eyes. The memory device triggered and the screen activated with her memories of the device that had almost killed Jack a couple months prior appeared on the screen.

Jack pulled the wire on the lead and the image flickered away. Neither of them needed to relive that event.

“Woah…” Sam muttered.

“Yeah. These things have a nasty habit of going off when you least expect it. Try not to think too much.”

Too disturbed to chuckle at his obvious joke, she told him softly “They said…” Her voice starting to choke with tears.

“They’re Goa’uld, Carter.” He told her and watched understanding wash over her face.

“Daniel? Teal'c?” She asked him, hoping Jack wasn’t the only one who survived.

“Don’t know yet. Think you can walk?” He looked away slightly as she sat up as she clearly wasn’t wearing any clothing. Now was not the time.

“The drugs must have prevented me from sensing the naquadah.” She realized.

Jack nodded and tilted his head at the orderly he’d beaned. “Trade clothes with that guy.” He told her. As if she had clothes to trade.

Jack turned his back and watched the door while she stripped the orderly and shrugged on the loose white linen tunic and pants.

Once she was changed they worked their way through the halls. They were almost caught by one of the Jaffa patrols but Jack pulled Sam between a pair of pillars and covered her mouth. He wasn’t going to lie. He held her a bit tighter and much longer than was necessary but she was sagging against him in relief and all he wanted to do was hold her. Reassure himself that she was alive.

They tracked down Daniel and got him up to speed then went to find the Stargate.

Jack kicked it in frustration. Confirming his suspicions. “It’s fake.” He growled.

And then his favorite snake, half whore shows up. Well, this is just peachy he thinks as he exchanges insults with her.

* * *

Jack woke up in a cryogenic tank, firmly restrained against further hijinks.

“We are not pleased.” Hathor told him. Clearly annoyed with his behavior.

“Neither are we.” Jack quipped.

Hathor placed the matured Goa’uld on him and Jack tried to pull away helplessly. He didn’t dare make eye contact with Carter whose horrified expression was near tears.

When a firefight was heard outside, Hathor called away her guards and had Carter and Daniel dragged off.

And then Raleigh was beside him telling him to fight and begging him to forgive her before the chamber closed and then he didn’t remember anything until Sam was over him pulling off the restraints with trembling fingers.

“Colonel? I don't feel its presence. You're going to be all right.”

And then Hathor was firing a ribbon device at Carter and Jack couldn’t remember what he said back to her as he grabbed the woman and threw her in the cryogenic pit and she disappeared with a horrified scream.

He stumbles over to Sam and pulls her into his arms, holding her desperately. “Carter!” He barks, trying to wake her up.

“What happened?” She asks him, confused.

“Hathor’s… gone.” He cringed internally at how horrible a death he’d consigned her to but she was going to kill Carter.

“What about you?”

“Cold, a little chilly, but…I'm me. I'm me.” He said and buried his face in her neck to hide his tears of relief that they were both alive and in one piece.

Raleigh told them where to place Sam’s bomb and sent them off, dismissing her injuries as survivable.

* * *

“Well, this sucks.” Jack mumbled, huddled under Sam’s comforter on her couch. No matter what he did he just couldn’t get warm. He’d kept it together on base but Sam had taken one look at him and told him he wasn’t staying alone at his house all night. She turned the heat up and sent Marge home after telling her Jack had some kind of virus. Marge had pointedly packed an overnight bag for Grace and taken the protesting toddler with her who did manage to escape once to give Jack a fierce hug.

“I’ll bring by some soup later, sweetie.” Marge told Jack as she kissed the top of his head, the only thing not under Sam’s comforter.

“Thanks, Marge. Love you.” He told Sam’s aunt.

“Love you too, dear.” She turned to Sam. “Call me if you need anything. If you don’t, I’ll call you at bedtime.” She said with a wink.

“Cut it out, Aunt Marge. He feels like crap.” She said, frowning while they stood at Sam’s door.

“Looks it too. Poor guy. Take good care of my boy.”

“Yes Aunt Marge.” She dragged out in a sing song voice.

Marge gave her a kiss on her cheek while Grace hugged her. “Wuve you, mommy.”

“Love you too, kiddo. Be good for Auntie Marge.”

“K! Wuve you unka Jack!”

“Love you too, pumpkin!” Jack called.

Sam closed the door and came back to the living room. “How about I make you some coffee?” She offered.

Jack looked up at her hopefully.

She smiled gently at him. “Janet said there isn’t much more you can do but ride it out but I’ll get out my space heater and loan you my heating pad to ward off the worst of it.” She said.

“Sam?”

“Yes Jack?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?” She asked him, perplexed.

“For disobeying orders creatively.” He said smiling at her in amusement.

“I did not.” She said with false offence. “I just didn’t tell Makepeace what I was really going to do.” She grinned back at him.

He shivered violently again and her smile faded. “Let me get that coffee on so we can warm you up on the inside.” She went to the kitchen and Jack muttered too low for her to hear him. “I know what would warm me up on the inside.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing Carter!” He yelped.

Sam rolled her eyes.

Sam was chuckling to herself though as she made the coffee. She could guess.

Ten minutes later the coffee was made and she brought them both a steaming mug.

Jack took several sips then set his coffee down. “Carter?”

“Yup?”

“Would you mind terribly much…?” He hedged but Sam guessed his intent.

She set down her coffee and scooted closer as he pulled the comforter back and snuggled in on his shoulder then wrapped her arms around him. “Better?”

“Much.” He said softly and hugged her back. Within moments he was dozing off and Sam smiled a little. He’d hugged her so tightly when he thought he’d lost her. Perhaps Jolinar had been right. There was something there.


	13. Driving me insane

“You know there’s another reason I wanted you to come with me today, Sam.” Jacob told her from the passenger side of her car.

Sam set her jaw but knew better than to try to put this off. It was going to be a _very_ long ride, that’s all. She flashed back to her conversation with him a few days ago when he arrived. After Selmak told her that she had insisted Jacob talk to Mark, her dad had brought up that Mark wasn’t his only child he needed to talk to.

Sam didn’t say anything while she drove. If her dad wanted to have this conversation, he was going to tell her what he wanted to know before she gave him any information.

Jacob finally sighed in disgust as though he’d been arguing with Selmak in his head. “I’m just going to say it Sam. I know Jack is Grace’s father.”

Sam shrugged. If he knew, there wasn’t anything more to say on the matter. “Are you going to tell Uncle George?”

“That depends. Were you sleeping with him when you both were assigned to West?”

Sam genuinely debated about telling her dad it was none of his business frankly but she didn’t want her dad causing trouble for Jack while he got to know his daughter. “It really was a one night stand Dad. I’d been let go from the program and was angry. Jack was drowning his sorrows at the bar I went to. I figured he was just some down on his luck guy looking for a good time.”

“Why did you think that?”

“Pale mark where his wedding band used to be. Depression drinking. I left him my name and number but he never called. I figured he went back to his wife. It happens. I didn’t see him again until my first day at the SGC.”

Jacob thought about that for several minutes. It was a lot more information than he’d gotten out of her in the past. On the one hand, he couldn’t really blame her. What West had pulled had been a bullshit move. Jack was a mess back then and had still been a bit of one for a while even after they worked together for several months. Sam had been prudent to be discreet. She must have known or guessed he was military when they slept together.

“Have you told him yet?” Jacob finally asked.

Sam shook her head. “I want to but, well, it isn’t the right time yet. I want him to get to know her.”

“So he loves her and not an obligation.” Jacob concluded.

Sam cut her eyes to her father and nodded slowly. “Yah.”

Jacob nodded slowly. “He deserves to know kitten.”

“I know Dad, and I’ll tell him. I really will. Just… not yet.”

“Does George know?”

Sam shook her head. “No Dad and I don’t want you telling him either. I think Aunt Marge might have figured it out but she hasn’t said anything about it.”

“You know Jack is pretty smart. I’m a little surprised this hasn’t already come to a head.”

Sam frowned. “He asked about it when he first met her. I told him the truth but made it sound like he was being silly to even ask and he didn’t dig any deeper.” She admitted.

Jacob tilted his head and frowned in appreciation. He’d taught her how to lie effectively it seemed. He didn’t think Jack would fall for it very long though. Either he wasn’t the man Jacob thought he was or out of respect for Sam’s feelings, Jack had kept quiet about his suspicions.

“What will you do if he does figure it out?”

Sam shrugged. “Tell him the truth.” She said simply.

“Even if it costs you your career?” he challenged her.

Sam sighed. “Dad, I won’t outright lie to him. He deserves to know anyway. I just haven’t been able to tell him yet.”

“Well, what’s the hold up?”

Sam sighed and blew on her bangs. Where to start? “If he wasn’t my commanding officer, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but you know how it will look if it comes out.”

“I do. Is this complicated by you two having a continuing physical relationship?”

Sam’s eyes bugged out a little. “No, Dad.” She choked out. “Jack and I are just friends now.” Friends who kiss and hug way more than is strictly appropriately professional but friends. But it was good for her to get along with her child’s father, wasn’t it?”

“Sam…”

“Just friends Dad. Nothing has happened.” She insisted. But she blushed a little, giving away her lie.

Jacob was about to call her on it when Selmak piped up in his head

“ _Enough, dear, give her at least the illusion of privacy. She’s not certain about his feelings for her yet and you could damage what they are building by prying too hard_.”

“ _I hate when you’re right_.” He snarled at her mentally.

Selmak giggled. “ _Oh pish posh. It’s very clear he loves her and is trying to figure out how to tell her. Let them be. How would you have felt if your father in law had been difficult with you about getting married_.”

“ _That was different_.” Jacob insisted.

“ _Was it though? As I recall Debbie was pregnant at the wedding with the very daughter who you are trying to have a good relationship with_.”

“ _I just want her to be happy. How do I know he’s good enough for her?_ ”

“ _After last week you really have to ask that? The sun and moon set on her in his eyes and even an old grump like you can see that_.”

“ _Okay, okay, yah he clearly loves her but relationships need more than love you know_.”

“ _Yes. They also need fathers that butt out_.” She told him pointedly.

“ _Rude_.” He said.

Selmak just laughed.

“I’ve been outvoted.” Jacob grumped to Sam, his arms crossed on his chest in pique.

Sam giggled. “Sorry dad, but thank you Selmak.” She told his symbiote sincerely.

“I guess I’ll have to trust you.” Jacob admitted.

Sam grinned.

“Don’t get used to it.” He told her.

“Trust me, Dad. I know better.”

Jacob nodded to himself. “He seems like a good man, Sam. Bit of a pain in the ass but he uses it to his advantage instead of to cause himself further trouble. If you had to have a kid with a guy on accident at least it’s someone relatively smart.”

“Don’t tell Daniel.”

“I don’t…?”

“Sorry, inside joke. Jack had Daniel convinced he’s an idiot. Honestly, I think sometimes Daniel still thinks he is.”

“Why? Isn’t Daniel his best friend?”

Sam shrugged. “He thinks it’s funny.”

Jacob gave her the side eye. “Oh boy.”

Sam giggled. “It really is funny to watch him bait him, Dad. Daniel is pretty smart but he doesn’t read people very well.”

“That’s why you guys keep ending up in dungeons.”

“Pretty much, yup.” She said popping the P.

Jacob shook his head. “Sam, if I didn’t know how weird your sense of humor is sometimes I’d be very against this but honestly it sounds like you and Jack are a good fit.”

“Dad, did you honestly just give us your blessing?”

“No.”

“Okay?”

“But he’s gonna be part of your life for the next fourteen or so years so I guess I better get used to the idea.”

Sam patted his arm affectionately. “That’s the spirit, dad.” She said grinning.

“Does he know what a pain in the ass you are?”

“Dad, I work with the man nearly every day and he’s at my place twice a week when we’re home. I think he’s figured it out.” Crap. She wasn’t going to admit he was doing that.

“Why is he at your house twice a week?”

Sam bit her lip. “Ah… because Daniel’s apartment is full of statues and he gets bored at home?” she tried.

“Sam…”

“We aren’t sleeping together again if that’s what you’re asking. I think he likes spending time with Grace.”

“And that’s the only reason even though he doesn’t know she’s his daughter.”

“He misses Charlie.”

Jacob nodded. Sam was either wrong or lying to herself. “And he’s courting Grace’s pretty mom.”

“Dad!”

“If I wanted to get on a woman’s good side I’d make sure her kid likes me.” Jacob pointed out.

“Why are we having this conversation?” Sam finally asked him.

“It’s a long drive to San Diego.”

“Yah… fifteen of them.”

“It’s closer to eighteen Sam.”

“Not the way I drive, dad.” She told him firmly and flipped on the radio, effectively ending their conversation.


	14. Lord help the mister

The alternate Sam had hugged him so hard. Worse, she had cried. Jack couldn’t take it when Sam cried. It broke his heart. They had been married. Lacking the regulations, their one night stand had become a relationship far sooner than this careful dance he and Sam had around their feelings right now. She’d been so wrong. He did think of Sam that way. He just didn’t think of Samantha that way. Jack shook his head to try to clear it when Sam came barreling down the corridor.

“Sir. General Hammond told me the news. I took the liberty of informing Major Kawalsky.” Sam told him surprised to see him here.

“Thank you. I was just on my way to do that.” You lying liar, you were going to go hide in your office with the door locked.

“I thought I'd drop in on, uh…Samantha, see how she's doing.”

“She's fine. I think she'd rather be left alone at the moment. Just stop in tomorrow.” Hopefully by then Samantha would have enough time to realize it was a very bad idea to suggest Sam pursue him romantically.

Sam looks at him a little confused. “Oh. All right. Goodnight, sir.” Wincing internally, feeling like she’d made some kind of mistake Sam turned to leave.

“Carter.” Jack said her name softly.

She turned back. “Yes sir?” Her eyebrows drew together.

“How are you doing with this…twin thing?” He hedged.

“Do you have a couple of hours?” She was making a joke but Jack apparently didn’t know that.

Jack gives her a long look, thinking about what Samantha had said about him struggling to express his feelings. He wanted to be better than the other Jack. Sam deserved better. “Okay.”

“It… That was the answer.” Realizing he hadn’t gotten the joke and simultaneously internally kicked herself and gave him a gentle smile.

“Oh.” Jack told her lamely, finally realizing she didn’t really want to talk about it, at least not with him.

“Goodnight, sir.” She says to him softly and leaves him standing there, still mulling over both conversations.

“Goodnight, major.” Jack says to himself, almost sadly.

The one thing Jack had notice was Samantha smelled different than Sam. In fact she smelled… Well she smelled like she was pregnant if Jack was honest with himself. And that was the part that was really getting to him. If Samantha was pregnant and she stayed here… that was biologically his child. His child with Sam. He’d have an obligation to the baby even though he didn’t personally make it and how would Sam feel about this interloper who was a twin she never asked for having his baby? Would she care?

Jack realized he cared. He cared very much because somewhere in the depths of his heart he’d built this little fantasy where he was Grace’s dad some day and he and Sam were together if she wanted him but he already loved that little girl so much and this wouldn’t be like a younger sibling, this would be a baby from another mother. A mother who was more or less Sam’s biological twin.

The corners of Jack’s mouth turned down in a frown. As much as he’d like to be happy for Samantha, it would make his life incredibly difficult having her here and he realized it might cost him the affection Sam seemed to be slowly building for him.

* * *

Samantha and Jack stare into each other’s eyes for a long time before she leans in and kisses him. When she draws away from him, she sighs sadly. “You're really not him, are you?”

“No.”

“I just wish…” She said wistfully.

“Yup.” Oh, he got it, he totally got it, and… and if he lost his own Sam he’d feel the same way, desperately wishing to cling to a memory even if that memory’s heart belonged to another. Jack stepped through the mirror and left a crying Samantha behind.

He looked around but Sam had already left the room. Jack sighed. She had to have seen the kiss. What she’d thought he didn’t know… and he was petrified to ask but he knew he had to.

He was sorry for Samantha but he wasn’t sorry to see her go. He hoped having his… well, the other him’s baby he supposed would get her through this emotionally. He wished her well. In her own reality where she wouldn’t interfere with his ever again.

“Where did Carter go?” He asked as though the question was just a casual observation. But no one seemed to know so Jack went to track her down. He didn’t find her in the lab or the commissary or the gym and was suddenly hit with inspiration. Using his key card and override code he went out the utility door on twenty eight where the stairwell to the surface of the cave was located.

He probably wouldn’t have found her in the large dimly lit cavern had she not been sitting in a shadow sobbing to herself. Without preamble, he sat down next to her and pulled her unresisting body into his lap with a soft “C’mere” before tucking her in tight against him and resting his cheek in her hair.

Sam continued to cry for a few more minutes but tried to pull away when she calmed down. Jack just tightened his arms. “Nope, you aren’t the only one who needs to be comforted here, Sam.”

Her head lifted and startled blue eyes looked up in his and wondered at the pain in his eyes.

“Jack?” She wiped at the tears on her cheek.

Jack sighed and his shoulders sagged. “I don’t know if Janet said anything but Samantha was pregnant.” Jack said, his voice filled with pain.

“Oh… Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry.” She told him.

But Jack shook his head. “I… after losing Charlie I’ve been afraid of making the same mistakes again. And somehow you, well, Samantha got through to the other me that…” He couldn’t finish and she squeezed his arm reassuringly.

“As much as it hurt to know she was pregnant I… Sam what really bothered me was if she stayed I was biologically that child’s father and I had an obligation to raise it to the best of my ability and I…”

Sam lay her head on his shoulder. “Jack, you’re a good parent. Cassie and Grace adore you.”

Jack shrugged. “That may be but how would they feel to suddenly have this other kid I’m obligated to in a way I’m not for them. I’d raise that baby as my own because it’s the right thing to do and not because I love it’s mom or loved him or her for themselves.” He narrowed his eyes. “Am I making any sense?”

Sam let out a watery chuckle. “You’d feel obligated to be their father instead of because you specifically love them like you do Cassie and Grace.”

Jack nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Okay, well, that and Samantha… would expect things… I can’t give her.”

“Oh.” Sam said, her voice heavy with disappointment.

And for a change Jack screwed up his courage because clearly at some point the other Jack had and it had worked out all right twice so far. “I can’t give her something that already belongs to someone else.”

Sam pulled back slowly and searched his face. “Jack…”

But he put his finger to her lips. “We both know why I shouldn’t say it. Hell I shouldn’t even be feeling it but, well it’s already there, Sam, and it’s not going away.” He looked deep in her eyes. “And I have no business feeling the way I do under the circumst---“

Jack didn’t finish because Sam was kissing him. Gently at first but when he opened his mouth slightly in surprise she tentatively deepened the kiss and Jack found himself kissing her back urgently.

A lesser man might have taken advantage of their unknown location and realization that whatever either was feeling that at least it was mutual but Jack didn’t want to put her in that position to have to lie to their CO again.

He slowed and gentled the kiss until they parted, looking silently into each other’s eyes. “I can’t make you any promises, Sam.”

“I know.” She told him softly.

“I’m not going anywhere either.” He said.

She nodded. “Neither am I.”

“Okay then.”

“Okay.”

By mutual silent agreement they were kissing again and Jack’s hands were under her BDU shirt, stroking the soft cotton of her black t-shirt, eliciting a moan of desire from her when his hand cupped her bottom and pressed her to him. He moved his mouth to her neck and had her whimpering with need in moments, her hands fumbling at his belt but he stopped her.

“I want you too, Sam, but not here. Not now.” He kissed her gently and straightened her over-shirt.

“Jack.”

Jack shook his head. “God, I never thought I’d have a gorgeous smart as hell woman in my lap and tell her no.” He said chuckling. She blinked up at him, surprised at his words. “We’ll figure this out, Carter, I promise.”

She nodded mutely at him, not trusting herself to not blurt out he was a father already. That, in Samantha’s reality, they had not made a child that first night together because they had sat up and talked all night instead as Samantha had never expected to be on that mission and had only been angry that she’d been told the program was over after the mission. He’d come back to an empty house and a note saying Sara wanted a divorce. They hadn’t made love until the ink was dry but their feelings had grown during the time they shut down the program only to reopen it. Had waited though until they were both recalled to the program to ask her to marry him out of at least a little respect for Sara’s feelings. She hadn’t known Samantha was pregnant though. No wonder Jack had been so unlike himself. He had to have been tearing himself up inside with doubt.

And now her secret was an even bigger problem because now she knew he did want to be a father but he was terrified of screwing up too, and apparently… it mattered to him who the baby’s mother was. Even though he seemed to just love kids in general as demonstrated by his interaction with Merrin two weeks ago. He’d clearly and swiftly fallen in love with that little girl. Just as he had Cassie and Grace. But would he still trust Sam if she told him what had happened? She didn’t know.

“What is it?” He asked, reading the concern on her face.

She shook her head. “It’s nothing. We should probably go back before someone realizes we’re both missing.”

“Yup.” He agreed.

She slid out of his lap. And walked back to the access stairwell. “You know,” she said, “This place really is an engineering marvel.”

He nodded. “Adding the dampeners under the gate was a stroke of genius too.”

Sam giggled. It was Jack’s casual ‘why don’t we just add more springs?’ that had solved the shaking gate problems. “Yes it was, sir.” She agreed, going back into professional mode.

Jack nodded shortly and followed her up the stairs.

“Ah… Carter…”

“Yes sir?”

He tilted his head looking up at her.

She smiled a little. “I’m okay, sir, thank you.”

Jack nodded and wondered how she knew what the question was even though he’d not asked it.


	15. Ergo

“Oo! Oo! Sam! Sam! Sam! Sam!”

“Urgo, I’m trying to work.” Sam tried to tell him patiently.

“But Sam!”

“No Urgo. Not right now.”

“You know what we should do?”

“Work?” Sam suggested.

“No… pphhtt… Why would we work?”

“Urgo, I get paid to work.”

“Pay... who cares about pay? Let’s go find Jack and make out with him.”

“I am absolutely not doing that with you watching and especially not on base.” Sam told him firmly. She continued typing.

“But you want to.” He cajoled.

“Stop it.”

“I’ll keep my eyes closed. I _promise_!”

“Urgo… Under exactly zero circumstances will I go find my commanding officer to do… that! With you watching!”

“I said I’d close my eyes.” He pouted.

“Do what?” Jack asked her, walking in.

“Urgo!” Sam snapped at him.”

“Oops! Got to go!” He said and disappeared.

Sam was blushing furiously.

“Sam?”

“Sir.” She ground out.

“Carter?” he asked her mildly.

“Nothing…” she huffed. Did you need something sir?”

He turned and pointed at the door. “Honestly… I have no idea. I just… felt like I should come down and see you.” He admitted lamely.

Sam sighed. “I swear I will stab you out of my head if I have to.” She mutters at Urgo.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

“I’ll tell you later, sir.” She growled.

“Kiss her!” Urgo whispered to Jack. He started humming “Kiss the Girl” from Little Mermaid rather dramatically.

“URGO!” They said together.

“What?!”

“Go bother Daniel.” Jack ordered him.

“Boorrrinngg…” He told them but disappeared.

Jack huffed a sigh. “Was that what he was bugging you about?”

Sam nodded.

“Sorry about that, Carter. I probably put the idea in his head… My head… Whatever!” He said in exasperation.

“Is this um… usually a problem?

Jack’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Why would you think it’s a problem?”

Sam smirked. Then she frowned. “Dammit, Urgo stop it!”

“Oh nuts.” He pouted and went silent again.

Sam sighed.

“This is going to be a very **_very_** long day.”

“Yes sir it is.” She sighed.

“All right, well, you work on this… stuff and I’ll go get Danny and T, see if we can sort this out.” He said. “See you in the briefing.”

She nodded absently, working on the calculations she thought might get rid of Urgo.

Jack got all the way to the door before he turned around walked back, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her into a kiss. It was her soft needy whimper as she melted into him that made him come to his senses. He pulled back. “Sorry Carter… he…”

“It’s all right, sir.” She said on a sigh.

Jack swallowed. Her lips were so soft and warm and… dammit.

Jack turned on his heel and stalked away angrily. “Knock. It. Off.” He snarled at Urgo.

So a bit later when Hammond had them in the briefing room Jack was in no mood to entertain Urgo even a little. Even with his self-control the desire to kiss Sam at work had been so overwhelming he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

When Urgo told Jack, it was him or death Jack had snarled “We’re thinking.” Because that’s all he needed was for them to be court martialed because an alien computer decided to talk them into taking each other’s clothes off somewhere on base. His mind was filled with hazy images of a night four years ago. Jack glowered.

“Oh so _that’s_ why you want to kiss her so bad!” Urgo said. “She likes you back, you know.”

“I already know that, Urgo.” Jack growled.

“So go kiss her. Come on, Jack. Let’s go kiss the pretty girl.”

“Urgo, so help me…”

Urgo started singing the Disney movie song he’d been humming. He giggled when he got to the Sha-la-la-la-la parts and Jack gritted his teeth.

“Urgo, you are ruining my goddaughter’s favorite movie.”

“So _that’s_ why I know all the words!” He clapped his hands and bounced. “Let’s get the girls and watch movies and eat candy!”

“No Urgo... and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have work to do.”

“But it will be fun! Don’t you like fun? What else can we do? Oh! Are you hungry again? Let’s go eat pie. I love pie. And cake! Oh ho ho I _love_ Cake. Sam reminds me of cake. All sweet and pretty and you just wanna eat her up!” He giggled.

Jack put his hand on his head where a headache was developing.

In Sam’s lab, Urgo was pestering her again. “Please can we go do something? Anything? Wait! I know! Let’s go outside.! Can we go get Jack and go outside? We could have a picnic. Wouldn’t that be nice? With potato salad and cold chicken and those cute little carrot sticks and…”

“Urgo… please. Just… be quiet for a few minutes.”

“I can be quiet.” He made a zipping motion across his lips with a flourish and looked at her expectantly.

Sam went back to her work.

“Sam.”

Sam ignored him.

“Sam. Hey Sam. Oh Saaaammm…”

“What Urgo?” she asked him tiredly.

“Do you love Jack?”

Sam ignored him.

“I think you do. You want to know what else I think?”

Sam didn’t reply even though, well, she did.

“I think he loves you too. He thinks about kissing you a _lot_. And I mean, boy he really _really **really**_ thinks about kissing you a lot.” Urgo giggled and sang something in French that he only could have gotten from picking Jack’s brain. “He thinks about ma—“

“Urgo!” Sam all but yelled at him. “That is enough. It is entirely inappropriate of you to pick through the Colonel’s feelings then report them to me.” She admonished him.

“It is?” He almost whimpered.

“It is. He has a right to _some_ privacy, Urgo.” She tried to explain.

“Oh.” Urgo looked perplexed and disappeared.

Sam sighed. Long day. Yup.

* * *

Ten hours after their conversation with Togar, Sam and Jack sat across from each other waiting for Janet to finish examining Daniel.

“We okay, Carter?” He asked her, concerned. “Urgo said a lot of stuff.”

Sam nodded vaguely and bit her lip. “Sir…”

“Carter, if you want to report me I won’t object.”

“No! It’s not that, sir.” She said hastily. “It’s just…” she sighed. “It was very hard to resist him, sir.” She made eye contact with him, willing him to understand. She’d said Urgo couldn’t make them do anything they didn’t want to do and she’d wanted to kiss him. Had wanted to go tell him how she feels about him.

Jack nodded slowly. “Carter… I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to do either.”

Their eyes locked for a long moment and one of them might have said more but Janet was pulling aside the curtain “All right, Colonel. Your turn.” She told him and nudged him to lie down so he could be rolled to the MRI.

Sam sat alone and sighed heavily. First Jolinar and now Urgo, even Aunt Marge and dad had brought it up. She shook her head. Things couldn’t go on like this.


	16. 100 Wrong Reasons

She didn’t like her. Something about Laira put Sam’s teeth on edge. Oh, she had no real claim on Jack, not really, but they had talked about it, their feelings, and had a sort of… well, agreement. She guessed. And Laira just seemed way too interested though Jack seemed oblivious enough. He didn’t seem to know what an attractive man he is.

She explained the asteroids to the other woman who admitted that at least once in recent memory the asteroids had come dangerously close to the village.

She got out of there as quickly as she could. She trusted Jack. He clearly wasn’t interested back, but she was going to say something rude bordering on Janet level snark soon so she bid the other woman fair day which was their greeting and went back to the SGC to compile the data.

Little did Sam know that when Jack wanted to be, he could be charming and occasionally flirtatious with women which would lead to an extremely bad problem in less than twenty four hours.

She’d hustled people through the gate waiting for Jack and Laira to return with Garren but the meteors started striking closer and she and Teal’c found themselves diving through the gate for safety.

* * *

Inside the caves, Laira cuddled close to Jack and he uncomfortably put his arm around her. She was clearly frightened.

Slightly over a week later, Jack, Laira, and the children returned to the village to find it decimated and most of the villagers that had stayed dead. But it was worse than that. The Stargate was gone. There was nothing but a hole and rubble where it once was.

His Sam was gone. Hopefully safe. But gone. He kicked at the stones at his feet.

That ass, Haynan, had the nerve to blame Jack’s people for an asteroid that they clearly wouldn’t have survived had it _not_ been for the SGC. He made to walk out of Laira’s house when she called him back and admonished her people about respect.

That night he slept on the floor of Laira’s house.

“There's a chance the Stargate is just buried…” He said to her after she offered him her husband’s unworn shirt.

“We have to rebuild before the harvest and there are very few of us now.” She said.

Jack took the shirt. He didn’t have his kit with his extra clothing in it like he usually would have. He supposed he should help a little but if he could dig out the Gate, he could get her people home and go home himself. Home. Jack’s heart squeezed painfully because home wasn’t a place for him. It was the people he loved.

A pair of vivid blue eyes flashed in his mind. Home was who he loved.

* * *

Back on Earth, the object of Jack’s thoughts had realized she needed to make a particle beam accelerator if Jack was going to be able to come home any time this year. She couldn’t just leave him there. She couldn’t. Grace was already asking about him and Sam had suddenly realized dad was right about why Jack had been at her place at least once a week consistently for months now. Often he’d just drop in or offer to pick up dinner on his way off the base for the night. Her heart thudded in her chest when she realized Jack was courting her in his oddly shy sort of way.

Sam called Aunt Marge who picked up on the second ring.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Marge asked her.

“I have a really huge favor to ask of you.”

“Sam, is this a ‘you’re moving to Colorado’ thing?”

Sam nodded dumbly than realized her aunt couldn’t see her. “There’s been an accident, Aunt Marge.”

“Oh no, what kind of accident?”

“Not one I can explain but the long and short of it is…” Sam bit back a sob. “Aunt Marge, Jack is missing. We know where he is but… we can’t get to him, not yet and… and I might be the only one who can save him.” She said miserably.

“Oh Sammy.” Marge sighed sadly. “Sweetheart… is… is Jack…?” She didn’t need to say it; she knew Sam would know what she was asking.

“Yah.” Sam admitted so softly Marge almost couldn’t hear her. “And he doesn’t know yet, I’ve been afraid to tell him.” She admitted.

“But why, dear? He loves her, he clearly loves you… You don’t have to do anything about it right now.”

Silent tears coursed down Sam’s cheeks. “It’s complicated, Aunt Marge, but I need to get him home and I… I think I need to stay here and work as much as I possibly can to do it.”

“Say no more, doll. Gracie and I will be fine. And when he gets home, the three of us grownups need to sit down and have a long chat about what this means for all of us.”

“I know, Aunt Marge. I’m sorry. I should have told you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I figured it out by the way he looked at you the day I met him.” She chuckled. “He’s a good man, Sam. I know you worry he’ll be upset with you but he has a right to know.”

Sam sighed heavily. “Yah.” She said sadly.

“It will be all right, kiddo. Get our boy home and we’ll deal with all this then, all right?”

“Thank you, Aunt Marge. I’ll call her every day when I get up to work.”

“That’s a good idea as I know you’ll work all night. Take care.”

“You too. Tell Gracie I love her.”

Janet later asked if missing him was a problem. No. Missing him wasn’t the problem. Her heart breaking in her chest for her daughter losing her father was though.

* * *

It started with her offering him her hand. A simple friendly gesture he should have realized wasn’t simple or friendly. She was a nice enough woman. He thought she was just being kind. She had no way of knowing his heart belonged to a pair of sapphire eyes and a dimpled smile that covered a brilliant brain connected to the kindest heart he’d ever known.

But as time went by and there was no sign of the SGC… Did they assume he’d died? He knew the Asgard could have gotten to Edora in a week or two if they wanted to. And Laira, while not the woman he loved, was sweet and took care of him and, god help him, Jack was lonely. He missed everyone so much. He missed Sam. But he may never see her again and these people had welcomed him though grudgingly at first. It was handy he had some basic smithing skills thanks to his grandfather. Carpentry too.

But he wasn’t really ready yet to let go of that flutter of hope that somehow Sam would find a way. He’d dug and dug and dug for the gate and found nothing. He couldn’t believe it was gone but it was so deep he may never reach it without help and these people needed all the hands available. Even the hands of a man who didn’t want to be here.

Jack was desperately lonely.

So when Laira kissed him, he didn’t stop her and, god help him, he kissed her back. She wasn’t who he wanted. She wasn’t his heart. But his heart was gone and his body had needs and so did hers.

And when they spun him to Laira that part of him who knew this wasn’t the woman he loves kissed her cheek not her lips like Garran had Naitha. But, he thought sadly, if I get drunk enough she can have what she wants. What does it matter?

What did any of it matter?

She told him she wanted a child and he admitted he’d never let go of his love for Sam though he didn’t say her name.

Laira didn’t seem to care. She didn’t even seem invested in him. She was just lonely and wanted a baby. And Jack was just drunk enough to foolishly not care what would happen if he gave her one.

When she goes by the next morning with his old clothes… Jack swallows back the shattered pieces of his heart when he tells her to toss them after all. He’d made his proverbial bed. Four months had passed. If they were going to find a way… if Sam could find a way … surely by now…

And then Laira was admitting she’d heard a voice come from his radio. But that meant…

With sudden realization, Jack got up. His walk was closer to a jog than a walk to the hole where there used to be a Stargate. “This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, come in.” His heart was pounding in his chest. A voice? Whose voice? Carter?

“O’Neill.” Teal’c said back.

“Teal'c! Where the hell are you?!” He said, excited for the first time in three and a half months.

“Attempting to reach the surface. Little oxygen remains, O'Neill.” Teal’c told him, without any urgency in his voice though it was clear he’d been exerting himself.

“I got your RDF signal. I'm right on top of you!” Jack said excited and called Garren over to help dig where Teal’c signal was emitting from.

Laira came over and she and Jack look at each other from a distance but Jack goes back to digging. He was going home. He’d already made the decision.

“Teal’c!” He exclaimed happily to the other man when he finally broke through and saw the dusty Jaffa below him.

* * *

Sam was trying to explain to Jack how they had solved the engineering problem when he saw Laira and brushed past Sam like he hadn’t even seen her. She watched him walk to Laira and her heart broke.

And then Jack made an offer he shouldn’t have out of obligation and didn’t even really mean because he wasn’t a man to bed a woman lightly and now he felt… what? Love? Affection? Obligation?

She turned him down though and they hugged. He hadn’t expected her to say yes but he felt he had to offer. Just in case her feelings were deeper than he thought.

When he turned around, Sam was nowhere to be found.

Jack’s heart sunk into his gut. He’d given up out of loneliness for a woman he had no claim on but had promised he wasn’t leaving either and now he’d pay for his failure as a man.

* * *

That night Sam went home and hugged Grace close in bed with her just this one time. Marge had asked her how Jack was and Sam had replied he was just peachy in such a tone that Marge knew something had gone terribly wrong but also knew Sam wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Jack went home to an empty house and punched a hole in the hallway wall that he’d have to patch later. He’d fucked up everything and now… now he might have lost everything too. Just like he always did.


	17. Mmmm… Dooonuts…

By the next working day though, Sam had her feelings stuffed down hard enough to pretend not a damned thing was wrong and had no idea that he’d left for a weekend of leave… shortly after his return, Hammond had called Jack into his office where Thor, Lya, and Travell stood waiting for him.

And then he’d realized he couldn’t go talk things out with Sam, find out where they stood, and had to pretend everything was fine pre-mission. She seemed unaffected but he knew her. She was hiding her feelings. At least from him.

And then… he’d had to… god, the look in her eyes… he admitted he loved her in such a horrible way that he knew it would cut through her if she had any feelings left for him after what he’d done already. He’d never hated himself more in his life. Not even when he’d blamed himself for Charlie’s death.

Daniel was sent to beard the lion by default. Teal’c was disgusted with him and Sam wasn’t speaking to him at all. So far his plan to make it look like he was burning his life to the ground was working out swimmingly. And that was just peachy. He pushed Daniel away too. He knew exactly how to hurt everyone he loved in the most hateful way. The way that would make them retreat to lick their wounds instead of pushing him for the truth. But he was glad it had been Daniel and not Sam that he’d had to wound so deeply. He wasn’t sure if he could have done that to Sam.

He hooked Maybourne like the expert angler he was. Harry was so ready to believe Jack was deep down just like him that he didn’t even question Jack’s change of heart.

And right in front of Makepeace, he told George he wanted to go back to Laira, who Jack now realized had spent months manipulating him and was the last person he wanted to see other than possibly Halfwhore. The die was set. How ironic Maybourne had come over while Jack was playing chess. Jack was still playing chess and his team were pawns. Very smart pawns, he thought. He hoped they figured it out after he was gone. If they didn’t… if they didn’t… he’d sacrifice himself to prove to them he loved them.

Sam watched him walk through the gate to go to … her. To Laira. She’d been wrong. Everyone who said he loved her had been wrong. He wouldn’t be going back to her if he didn’t love her more. He hadn’t even come over to her house over the weekend. She’d half expected him to. A box of donuts in hand and the excuse that he missed Grace and Marge and a shuffled shy wistful smile if she’d forgiven him and a hangdog look if she’d not and god she had no idea if she had or hadn’t because he’d never come home… and that was a problem because she was starting to think of him showing up as him coming home when he was never hers. Never Grace’s. It had all been an illusion built on silly romantic dreams. He was just her CO with a bad habit of flirting with women he shouldn’t.

And it was her own fault for falling for it. So she stood stoically with Teal’c and only Daniel was too furious with Jack to stand in the Gate room to say goodbye.

But then Jack stepped on to Edora, he ran to the DHD to immediately dial out. He didn’t want anything to do with Laira. Janet had already confirmed she wasn’t pregnant, not that he’d expected her to be really. That stuff only happened in those cheesy romance novels his ex-wife used to read sometimes. But away from her influence… he realized she’d worked him over pretty hard, playing on his grief, using his broken heart to her advantage. Had she seen the way he and Sam used to look at each other and guessed? Some women could.

The planet he dialed to was the NID off world base and Newman is waiting for him with a few other fools who thought themselves patriots.

They went on mission after mission together. Jack built up trust with them and helped create strategies, took his share of five finger discounted tech he’d already been told would be there specifically for them to steal. Stole a few things randomly just to mix things up, a factor he warned everyone about ahead of time. And then Newman finally spilled the beans and somehow Jack just wasn’t even surprised.

* * *

“Sam… He’s an asshole.”

“Daniel…”

“I concur with Daniel Jackson. Makepeace is an ‘asshole’, Samantha.” Teal’c told her. As hard as it was for Sam to remember to call Jack by his name outside of work, Teal’c had an even harder time not calling her by her title.

Sam sighed and dug at her carton of Chinese food. They were sitting around her coffee table on the floor. Jack not being there felt wrong. They hadn’t invited Bob as he’d asked to be called off duty.

Grace had asked where Uncle Jack was until Sam had admitted he wasn’t coming and was currently pouting in her room alone.

“Is she okay in there by herself?” Daniel finally asked of Grace.

Sam shook her head. “She doesn’t understand why when mommy came home, Uncle Jack didn’t too.” Sam’s stomach rolled. She didn’t want to think about Jack.

“I don’t get it. He’s stuck on that planet for months, shacks up with her like you weren’t going to save him eventually and comes back an entirely different person from the one we knew.” Daniel grumped and stabbed a pork ball.

“Daniel Jackson.” Teal’c said firmly.

“Wha--?” Daniel started to ask but Teal’c eyes cut to Sam and he lowered his eyebrows. Daniel got the message loud and clear. Enough. Sam looked like she was going to cry. “Ah... Pass the Lo Mein.”

Sam handed it to him without really looking up. As upset as she was… Daniel was right. Jack hadn’t been acting like himself and while being with that woman might have changed his outlook… it shouldn’t have changed _him_. Fundamentally, Jack was a good man.

She bit her lip. “But… Daniel… I think you might be right.” She said.

“Which part.” He growled and stabbed another pork ball.

“But I don’t think…” Sam trailed off. If Jack was acting… then he wanted them to respond naturally to whatever it was that was going to happen… and that meant… her heart fluttered with a small measure of hope.

“What Sam?”

But Sam shook her head. Daniel was a terrible liar. She’d wait and talk to Teal’c because no one could read Teal’c but his teammates and sometimes General Hammond. “Nothing.” She mumbled and got up. “I’m going to go check on Grace.” She told them.

* * *

He almost didn’t get into the bushes on time and his heart eased as each of his friends ignored the bait and Makepeace, that rat, snagged it. Oh yah, he was going down. He’d almost screwed up. Sam had come within feet of him and he’d almost pulled her into the bushes so he could tell her everything or maybe to beg for her forgiveness about Laira or… dammit. He didn’t have time for this right now but god she’d been a sight for sore eyes. He’d lost her and his heart didn’t even care. It still went on Mr. Toad’s wild ride when he got a glimpse of her.

The next few hours were a blur and suddenly he was standing in front of Sam. “I’m back.” He quipped.

And she was grinning at him, full dimples. “It’s good to have you back, sir.” She said, warmth in her eyes that he didn’t deserve.

He had something to take care of first though. An apology to Daniel, which he delivered in the Gate room in front of everyone, to prove how deeply he meant every word to his best friend.

* * *

The next morning he showed up at Sam’s knowing she’d be up early. Grace was a morning star up with the sparrows. Much as he’d always been. Marge’s car was in the driveway so he parked on the curb.

Sam answered the door in fuzzy sleep pants and a shirt that had been his at some point. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or it was just laundry day.

“Sir?” She said, confusion in her eyes.

“I brought donuts. Can I come in?” He asked with the air of a man who expected the answer to be a very firm no.

Sam gave him a speculative look and opened the door wider without a word.

Jack was of two minds on this as a huge cowardly part of him wanted to just hand her the box and get back in his truck and just pretend none of this ever happened. But that same cowardly part of him was looking at the woman he loved and the only thing worse than her being angry at him was her being angry at him for a really long time.

His quandary however was resolved by thirty five pounds of toddler flinging herself at him full bore. “Unka Jack!” She shrieked as Sam grabbed at the box before he toppled off her porch. He did manage to save himself by sweeping Grace up for a heartfelt hug and kisses.

“I missded you, Unka Jack! Where you go?” She demanded.

Jack hugged her tightly, his head bowed into her tiny shoulder for a moment, soaking up the emotional contact. “I got lost going home but you know what? Your mom found me and brought me home.” He told her, his eyes still closed as he hugged her tight, missing Sam’s sad smile.

“Mama smart.” Grace told him.

“She’s very, very smart.” He agreed.

“Jack, it’s good to see you, dear.” Marge said from the kitchen where she was drinking coffee. “Are you going to let the man in, Sam?”

Sam still saying nothing moved away from the door and put the donuts on the counter.

“Gracie girl, how would you like to walk down to the park with old Auntie Margie?” Marge asked her great-niece.

“YAY!” She shrieked in Jack’s ear as she struggled out of his arms and Jack rubbed at his offended ear.

“All right, go get your coat, doll.” She turned to Sam and said so softly Jack nearly didn’t hear her. “He came. Hear him out.”

Sam nodded her head minutely.

Marge hustled Grace out the door, leaving Jack and Sam staring at each other uneasily.

“I … ah… I owe you an apology.” He finally said. She hadn’t offered him a coffee which said a lot. She was usually a very polite host.

She shook her head though. “You really don’t, Sir. I misinterpreted the situation, that’s all.” She shrugged but wouldn’t look at him.

Jack winced at the ‘sir’. “No, you didn’t, Sam... I… I really screwed up here. I don’t expect you to forgive me for it either. I made you a promise I didn’t keep because I was so desperately lonely and when… when she made me believe you weren’t coming… I… I gave up, Sam.” And that was the worst sin, he’d given up on her bringing him home over soft words and shallow promises from a woman he didn’t even love.

Sam looked at him now, her eyes fierce. “As long as I’m still alive and breathing I will never leave you behind, sir.” She told him, her body taut with suppressed fury. How dare he think after what he’d been through that she’d ever not. “I will never let you rot alone again.” She glared at him. Furious.

Jack sat and put his hands in his hair. “I know that now.” He said softly. “I never should have let her influence me.”

Sam sighed. “I don’t have any right to put demands on you.” Their situation prohibited any commitment between them.

“I can’t undo what I did… Sam… I…” His voice broke over the words.

Her shoulders sagged and she sat. Jack still had his head down and his hands in his hair in defeat so she gently tugged at one until he looked up. “Jack…”

“You didn’t go home.”

“I couldn’t, sir. Not until I got you home too.” She squeezed his hand. “So promise me this. Never ever forget that I won’t leave you behind ever again.”

Jack looked in her eyes. She wasn’t making him any promises, he’d have to earn her trust again… but… perhaps he could salvage their friendship. Jack nodded slowly. “Never, Sam.” And his eyes told her he meant it with every fiber of his being.

Sam sighed and put her other hand over the one she was holding. “Would you like some coffee?” She finally asked him.

“Yah, I would. And the pink iced donut with the sprinkles.” He said, smiling hopefully.

“Nuh uh. Your punishment is watching me eat it in front of you.” She said.

Jack’s mouth quirked to the side. She didn’t even like the vanilla iced donuts. But if it made her feel better. “Fine, then I get the double chocolate cake.” Laying claim to her favorite.

They ate silently for a few minutes before both tore off half their donut and traded without discussing it.

“It was nice what you said to Daniel.” She finally said over her coffee mug.

“I meant it.” He said and without thought thumbed a crumb of chocolate off the corner of her lip.

Her eyes flew to his and he slowly withdrew his hand only to stick the finger in his mouth and lick the chocolate off.

Sam swallowed.

His eyes told her how sorry he was for what he’d done but she couldn’t let it eat at her. If she thought she’d never see him again she might try to move on too, And her heart would break every inch of the way and she’d never stop loving him but she’d try just like he’d tried. But now he knew to never give up on her again.

Time would tell if he’d take her vow to heart. And she had plenty of time on her hands.


	18. Fast as fast can be

They ran into each other in the service hall outside the lavatories at O’Malley’s. They looked at each other and then Sam was pressed between the wall and his hard body. His mouth demanding entry to hers and she felt hot and full of need and she let him take what he wanted, what he needed from her. Sam moaned his name and he kicked open a supply closet door. They stumbled in and he closed the door before he found her legs around his waist as he pressed her against an outside cinderblock wall. Tongues dueled while Jack tugged at the hem of her long black skirt, hiking it up her thighs and growling when he found she didn’t have on any underwear.

Sam’s hair was already a wild mess after he’d accosted her quickly in the locker room and things were swiftly moving from kissing to hot dirty sex in a restaurant closet with him and she didn’t even care. It didn’t matter that six months ago he’d slept with someone else or that things between them had been different after. At that moment, she didn’t know if she could trust him yet. She didn’t care about anything but his lips hot on her neck and his fingers stroking her, entering her. Sam moaned and his fingers withdrew. “Jack.” She complained.

“Just… hang on a second…” He mumbled against her neck and his already deft fingers made swift work of his fly then he was inside her as he pressed her against the wall. He drove into her so quickly she orgasmed almost immediately and she took him with her. They stood panting for a moment still pressed against the wall. “Sam.” He growled at her with need and hardened inside her again before either had stopped panting from release and his name ripped from her throat in a strangled cry as he sent her over the edge again.

“Oh god.” She moaned as he kept going, his hands hot under her sweater, stroking her sides, her breasts until she started shaking as he made her orgasm a third time and this time he finally took a handful of hard thrusts before moaning her name and stilling.

They leaned against each other, him still supporting her against the wall.

Jack was gently kissing her neck, making happy little humming noises. “Wow.” He mumbled and went back to kissing her and stroking her skin. He didn’t pull out but by silent agreement they were done for now. Any more and both would have to be treated for friction burns.

It had only been a few short minutes since he’d pulled her into the closet but they were somewhat sated for now. “If this keeps up, we’re going to need a lot of privacy Carter.” He said against her earlobe. Hell of a side effect of those bands, he thought.

Sam moaned softly in agreement. Jack had a very talented tongue among other body parts. But it wasn’t fair to him to take her as a lover again without telling him the truth. “Jack, I…”

“Jack? Sam? Oh, there you are. I’m kind of bored out there by myself. Can you guys do that later or something?” Daniel said, not even caring that they had clearly been engaging in sexual activity in the closet before leaving them alone again.

Jack gave Sam a quick kiss and both were presentable in moments and back at the table as though nothing had happened.

* * *

“Sir, there’s no time!” She told him as he got the plate off and the sound of pounding Jaffa feet came closer. She was trapped. She was going to die and if he didn’t go he would too. Go, her eyes pleaded with him. Please Jack go. Grace needs you! But all he did was gave her that wild eyed desperate look of a man possessed and started fighting with the control unit for the force shield.

All Jack could think was Sam was trapped and he had to get her out of there. Grace needed her mom but, more importantly, he needed her. If he’d learned anything over the last year, it was that he needed this woman in his life. She and her daughter were his home fire. His candle in the window. So he beat at that panel until the cover finally popped off and he desperately tried to short the controls hoping it would break the force shield that meant her death.

Her eyes pleaded with him to get out before he died too but he could _not_ leave her here. She wasn’t going to die alone. He owed her. He loved her.

The ship shook violently with the force of the blast, knocking both Jack and Sam to the floor and the shield fell. “Did you see that?” Sam said as she lifted her head.

“Let’s go!” He told her reaching out to her but she was going for the naquadah. “Forget that, leave it.” He told her. Her life wasn’t worth some fancy metal.

He grabbed her arm and they ran down the halls until they stumbled into Daniel and Teal’c coming back for them.

Even so, they cut it extremely close and the blast wave was on them as they jumped through the gate.

Hammond and Anise greeted them on the other side.

“General, sir…about the obviously impending court martial, sir…” He winced internally and it would be a longer list for he and Carter who’d added in a little side quest or two during all this.

“You were all under the influence of an alien technology, Colonel. That's a pretty solid defense.” Hammond told them. He had not enjoyed the list of reasons why all SGC teams were barred from O’Malley’s until further notice. Inciting a brawl and apparently trashing a utility closet after breaking in for a sexual encounter. As the ‘who exactly’ had been involved wasn’t mentioned, George chose to entirely ignore his top officer’s behavior under the circumstances. Perhaps if they got it out of their system things would go back to normal.

SG-1 headed for the infirmary where Janet would likely glare daggers at Anise if she tried to visit. She’d been against this whole thing from the start. It turned out she’d been right too.

In the infirmary, Jack and Sam stared at each other. ‘Are we okay?’ He asked her with his eyes. She nodded slowly and gave him a little half smile. Jack’s shoulders sagged in relief. He’d acted impulsively on his feelings for her and god it had been hot. But he’d spent months earning her trust again and he’d worried he’d ruined it with casual meaningless sex in a closet of all things.

Janet came and got him for his exam while Daniel got dressed and Sam’s half smile turned to a worried frown. She wasn’t upset or worried about the sex. No one was likely to find out about that. It was the fallout. He still didn’t know he was a father. He’d spent months earning her trust back that she’d still not told him the truth. Grace was starting preschool soon. She had been ready to tell him before the Edora incident but then... well… Sam sighed. How much would he resent her for not telling him before they had used each other like that.

She was afraid to tell him still, afraid of the hurt in his eyes. She couldn’t worry about it right now. They needed to put this behind them for right now and just get back to work. The timing was terrible.

Perhaps in a month or two when things were back to how they usually were again. Realizing even as she thought that it was likely when things were calm she wouldn’t tell him because why rock the boat.


	19. Inevitable revelations

Less than a week after the armband incident, Sam struggled not to laugh at Jack’s question. The thing was she knew damn well he could say za'tarc but he didn’t like Anise even a little at this point and he couldn’t resist baiting her. Of course she wouldn’t get the reference that she needed to calm down but Sam had and she was biting the inside of her cheek trying not to giggle.

Hammond sent him and Daniel off with Anise and Martouf to retrieve her device of questionable accuracy, returning later that same day.

Sam helped Anise and Martouf set up the device in an empty conference room turned lab to test the rest of Graham’s team. She heard Jack mutter, “They’re at it again.” And wondered what he meant by that.

They both did it. They both left out the personal part of their experience on PX9-797 when they were on Apophis’ ship expecting to die separated by a force shield.

He hugged her before he went back to his own room and kissed the top of her head. “It will be all right. We’ll figure this out Sam.”

“I hope so, sir.” She said sadly. Why couldn’t they just catch one break?

Jack lay on his bunk and stared at the grey ceiling. He hadn’t left anything out. Not a damned thing. Every single event had been dually recorded. Dammit.

* * *

Freya came on to him like a cat in heat and Jack panicked. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attractive. She was very attractive. The snake was a problem but it wasn’t the _problem_. “Is there someone else to whom you are loyal?” she asked him.

Well that’s the ten million dollar question, isn’t it, sweetheart? “That's not really the point here, is it?” Oh it was utterly and totally the _entire_ point lady. He shuffled her out the door as fast as he possibly could. Oh hell no, the last thing he wanted was a tryst with that crazy lady when the woman he’s in love with was across the hall worried sick about her kid. What would happen to Grace, he worried, if Sam could never go home? Ordinarily he’d say he’d take up the slack at Marge’s good will but it looked like he and Sam were in this very shaky boat together and no one would hand either of them an oar. And he really wished they had bunked them together. At least he’d have company.

Sam talked to Martouf who all but admitted he had feelings for her. Sam frowned. They had already gone over this. In spite of the situation, she was even more certain about Jack’s feelings for her than she had been the last time they had this discussion. She wanted to be gentle about it but Martouf was only hurting himself hanging on to the memories of a dead woman who happened to last reside in Sam herself.

Jack’s conversation with Daniel about the whole thing left him weirdly frustrated. Joking about Sam making a pass at him aside, which considering what Daniel had walked in on a couple days ago, wasn’t really tasteful on his part, the snake hitting on him had left Jack feeling oddly dirty.

Shortly after, Daniel came to tell Sam about Jack’s decision to let Freya experiment on him. “What? He can’t!” Sam exclaimed. It had killed Astor. She couldn’t let him sacrifice himself this way. They just needed time to figure it out.

“He's on his way down now.” Daniel said to her.

“Why is he doing this?” Sam said, her voice thick with emotion.

“He said he'd rather take the risk instead of being put to sleep indefinitely.” Daniel said reluctantly.

“But Astor…” She said, heartbroken over losing another coworker and the possibility that Jack would be Anise’s next victim.

“If it happens, he thinks that Anise can use what she'd learn to save you.” Janet told her Jack’s real reason.

Sam’s eyes go wide and she tries to run out of the room after Jack to stop him.

“Sam…” Daniel said sadly.

“Colonel…” She called down the hall. He turned and looked at her sadly for a brief moment but continued on his way. “You have to stop him!” Sam demanded of Daniel and Janet.

“It’s his choice.” Daniel reminded her.

“Sam, please. I have to do this.” Janet said, preparing to sedate Sam.

“Janet…” Sam pleaded to her friend.

Meanwhile Jack was being strapped into Anise’s contraption with Teal’c standing over him, a zat trained directly on him in case he tries any funny stuff. “Right.” He sighed.

Janet put Sam under but she was mumbling in her sleep, clearly having a flashback.

“Colonel… the C4 is going to blow… you have to get out of here…” Sam’s eyes fly open. She looks urgently at Janet. “The machine was wrong! You don't understand. We lied. We didn't even know we were lying. Please?”

In the conference room converted to a lab Anise is using, she tells Jack they will start if he’s ready.

Janet runs in, Sam right on her heels. “Stop!”

“Carter.” Jack gave her a little smile. “What’s up?”

“Could we have a moment alone please?” She gave everyone a pointed look. “Thanks.”

Jack wagged his head. “Carter, undo this.”

Sam removed the restraint off his head with nervous fingers.

“What’s going on?” He asked her a little confused.

“We’re not za'tarcs.” She told him firmly.

“How do you know?” He asked her perplexed but trusting her entirely.

“The machine thinks we have false memories, but we don't. We were lying.” She told him urgently.

“I wasn’t lying.” He answered, still perplexed.

“Okay, you left something out.”

“No I didn’t” He said, thinking and coming up with nothing.

“Sir, when you wouldn't leave me, are you sure there wasn't something else that you're not admitting?” She said encouragingly.

“What are you talking about?” Okay, now she’d lost him, he’d told the snake heads everything that happened.

“Something neither one of us can admit given our working relationship, our military ranks?” She reminded him, almost shyly.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh…” He said realizing what she meant. “Oh that.” His heart raced a little in panic. It was one thing to sit in her kitchen admitting he had feelings for her and another to say it to a room full of people he works with.

“Sir, we weren't telling the whole truth, and that's why the machine thinks our memories are false.”

“Really?” Well that’s just crazy, Jack decided but… it was what it was.

“Retest him.” Sam said to Anise. Her mouth firm.

Anise ran him through the scene again. “What were you feeling?”

“Like someone was going to die.” Jack said, a sick feeling in his stomach at the memory.

“Sir.” Sam said to him, eyes begging him, ordering him to tell the truth. Even if the fallout hurt them.

“I didn't leave…because I'd have rather died myself…than lose Carter.” He admitted.

“Why?” Anise asked him.

“Because I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to.” He said, looking straight at Sam, willing her to understand what he was telling her.

“You are not a za'tarc.” Anise said and Jack would swear she sounded annoyed about that.

“Now retest me.” Sam demanded.

She ran Sam through the events on Apophis’ ship. When they got to the force shield, Anise asked her the same question. “What were you feeling?”

“I knew I was going to die and I wanted the Colonel to leave, to go home.”

“Why?”

“Because if I was gone, my daughter needed a father. I needed Jack to take care of Grace for me.”

“But…”

“It’s green. She told the truth.” Jack snapped at Anise in warning.

“You are also not a za'tarc” Anise said.

“Thank you.” Sam told her, stifling her aggravation and feelings of vindication for now.

“Carter…” Jack said, worry coloring the edges of his voice. This was not how he wanted to tell her.

“Sir…None of this has to leave this room.” She told him hurriedly, trying to spare his feelings.

“We're okay with that?” He said, flipping his hand between them. Perplexed. Neither noticing Janet and Teal’c are politely and pointedly ignoring them.

“Yes sir.” She nodded nervously. Hoping he hadn’t picked up on what she’d just admitted but she needed to talk to him and soon because he was a smart man and he was going to figure it out really quickly.

But then they realized together that there was someone who had not been tested and both took off running for the Gate room.

They tried to stop him. They really did but Sam found herself killing a man she considered a good friend and held him on the ramp as he died, her heart breaking for him and Jolinar.

* * *

Daniel eventually led her away and drove her home after exchanging looks with Jack who pulled out his phone and moved to the utility room behind the Gate room that no one but the techs used.

“Marge… could you keep Grace at the park for a while even if Sam calls you to say she’s on her way home? I need to talk to her about something that happened today first.”

Marge agreed and told him take as long as he needed, to just text her when it was time to take Grace home and Jack headed out. He wanted Daniel to be gone first. This needed to be entirely privately.

Sam was sitting on her couch staring at a TV that wasn’t even on, a glass of wine in her hand, a bottle she’d clearly already pounded at least one glass from before he got there and he’d only been a few minutes behind Daniel.

He snagged his own glass and sat down on the couch next to her. “Do you mind?” he asked and she waved absently at the bottle.

Jack poured himself a glass and studied the contents for a moment. It was a deep golden color and smelled like heaven. He took a sip and it met with expectations. “To Marty.” He said and raised his glass a little.

Sam sniffled and threw back her glass.

Jack watched her start to crumple into herself and gently took her empty glass from her fingers and pulled her close. “Sam, there wasn’t any more you could have done. They wasted too much time screwing around with us.” He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes.

Sam wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.

Jack held her tight and rocked them both. What a shit day.

“Jack.” She hiccupped.

“I’m here Sam. I’ve got you.”

“There’s something… something I should tell you.” She said miserably.

“Ah… didn’t we already cover that?” He asked perplexed.

“No... no, not that. I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Oh. Okay… So? And then?”

In other circumstances she’d have laughed a little. This time though she shook her head. “No, it’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Ah.”

She looked up at him.

“I... ah... kind of figured that out a while ago, Sam.”

“What?” Her eyebrows shot up. “How? When?”

Jack hummed and his mouth canted to the side. “Well… it took me a few days to realize what you actually said but um… three years ago.” He admitted.

“You’ve known you’re her father for three years and you never said anything?” She asked him, shocked.

“After you found out about Charlie, I figured you pegged me for an unfit father and didn’t want to complicate things any more than they already were.” He admitted. “I don’t blame you. I was still a mess.”

“Jack…”

He put a finger over her lips. “Sam, I’m honored you finally told me for sure. There was a part of me that was afraid I was wrong. And you don’t owe me anything. Things can keep going exactly as they have been.” He told her.

“So… you were coming over twice a week because you knew and wanted to see your little girl.”

“Our little girl, Sam. And I’ll keep spending time with her as long as you let me and if you meet someone else and don’t want me around, I’ll respect that as long as you let me write her now and again.”

“Jack…” it came out a choked sob.

“Oh, sweetheart, how long have you been agonizing over this?”

“Oh, just four years or so.”

Jack stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “Well you don’t need to anymore.” He tilted her chin up to look in her eyes. “Grace wasn’t the only reason I came over, Sam, but that doesn’t need to be any more than what we are already doing here.”

“Jack… a couple days ago we… we…”

He nodded. “We were under an alien influence, Sam, and we used each other but that’s not how I want things between us. If we start seeing each other that way, it’s going to be because we love each other and not to scratch an itch. You mean more to me than that.”

She bit her lip.

“We’ll never go further than you’re ready to go, Sam. I promise.” He told her.

Sam made a decision. “After tonight… this can’t happen again until…”

“Until.” He agreed but she needed him right now. She took his hand and led him to her bedroom and he soothed her pain with physical release. He held her after until she fell asleep and texted Marge to just keep Grace overnight. Sam needed her rest and as much as he wanted to stay, he left a note saying Grace was handled and to call him if she needed him for anything.


	20. Exposed

They had snuck off to their corner as they had come to see it. First just to talk but eventually for other things as well.

“Thera.”

“Yes Jonah?”

“Do you ever get the feeling we aren’t supposed to be doing this?” He asked her.

She stretched seductively under him as he hadn’t moved from on top of her after they made love. “Ask me if I care Jonah.”

He chuckled. “Okay, I get that rules aren’t really your thing but… it doesn’t seem like there are many couples.”

“They probably live in other units.” She said.

He hummed thoughtfully. “I keep having this dream about a little girl.”

“I do too.”

“Thera… did we have a baby and lose her?”

She looked deep into the warm brown eyes that she loved so much. “I… I don’t know, sir.” She sounded confused and a little upset.

“I keep having dreams about a little boy too but you aren’t in those, Thera. I think I might have had a family and lost them.” He said sadly.

She looked at him with sympathy. “If you did, Jonah, I’m sure it wasn’t anything you could have prevented.” She told him softly and gently stroked his face.

“I hate that I’ve been night sick and can’t remember. What if they are still out there?”

“Jonah, you are a good, honorable man. If you had another family, you wouldn’t be able to love me the way you do. Your subconscious wouldn’t let you.”

“Subconscious?”

“It’s an expression, isn’t it?” She said looking confused.

He hummed thoughtfully. He supposed she was right. If he did have a family they must have died. He wondered if he’d loved that other woman as much as he did Thera. Suddenly he got a flash of insight that the woman in his dreams had loved him, had been smart though not as smart as Thera, but hadn’t been as accepting of his flaws as Thera was and for this he loved Thera in a different way, deeper if it could be called that. More openly when it came to his darker emotions.

“Whatever it is, I think you’re right. I don’t think I could love you the way I do if I had someone else even if I couldn’t remember her.” He agreed.

She smiled gently at him. “We should probably get dressed and go back before Carlin notices we left without him.”

“He always pops up at the worst possible time.” Jonah groused.

Thera giggled. “He really does.”

They kissed periodically as they dressed then headed back. Thera figured it didn’t matter about his other family if they died but what had happened to their little girl? She didn’t get the sense that anything had happened to her but she didn’t know where she was either and she knew somehow that she was a mother and Jonah was her child’s father but that they had to keep it secret that he was. Had they hidden their child to protect her? If so, where? An older woman holding the little girl flashed in her mind. Was her child with her mother? She looked like Thera. Why would they leave their baby with her parents?

“Wacha thinking?” Jonah asked her.

“I… I think, I’m not sure but I think she’s with my mom.”

“Huh. Why would we do that?”

“I don’t know. Possibly everyone here does that? You know if they are too old to work the mines or handle this stuff.” She said waving absently at the pipes above them.

“That… makes sense…” He agreed. But somehow it didn’t sound right. “Does your mom have really big blue hair?” He asked her suddenly.

“What? No!” She laughed. “Honestly, what is wrong with you Jonah?” She hugged his arm affectionately though. She loved his silly sense of humor. It popped out at the oddest times though.

“So why do you suppose Carlin is like a bad penny?” He asked her.

“A bad penny?”

“An expression, right?”

“Sure.” But they weren’t sure of anything anymore and Thera was starting to worry that Carlin was right. That none of this was as it seemed. Yet her feelings for Jonah felt very right. Like she’d felt like this for a _very_ long time and so had he. But she also had this awful feeling that if they figured everything out they wouldn’t like losing what they have right now.

“Thera.” Jonah said.

“Jonah?”

“No matter what we find out. I love you. That’s not going to change.”

“I know.” She said wistfully. “I love you too.” She admitted.

Jonah grinned. “Well then, all you need is love.”

Thera chuckled. “Love is all you need.” She said back, nearly singing it.

“You have a nice voice for singing.”

“One song keeps popping in my head and it makes me feel better and sad at the same time.” She said.

“Oh?” they were nearly to their bunk room.

“Um hum. Twinkle twinkle little star…” She sang softly but started to choke up.

“Hey… hey…” He pulled her into a hug. “Please don’t cry, Thera, I can’t stand when you cry.” He buried his face in her hair. “I’m sure she’s okay wherever she is.”

Thera looked up at him. “How do you know?”

“She’s with your mom. She’s safe.”

“There you two are! I’ve been looking for you for an hour!” Carlin fussed at them.

“Sorry we were ah…”

Carlin waves her off, disinterested in their love life. “Brenna wants to see us.”

“Me?” Thera asked.

“All of us.”

“Why?” Jonah asked suspiciously, ready to start an argument about it.

“I don’t know. They didn’t tell me but they said if I could find you two to bring you up to her office right away.”

“Fine. Let’s go.” Johan said with a scowl. He’d had about enough of Brenna’s nonsense and the sooner they got this over with the sooner he and Thera could get back to work.

Brenna’s revelation stuns them all but with her admission Jack actively goes into work mode mentally and takes charge of the situation even when Calder shoots Brenna and threatens to kill them all.

Jack’s only regret was Sam brightly calling him sir. That was his only regret about leaving. He missed his daughter, his job, hockey… but he’d miss this closeness with her. He’d miss it a lot. “Let’s go home.” He told her. They would sort it all out later.

“Yes sir.” She replied. But there was a shy smile on her face when he turned his back. She’d had a taste of the man underneath it all and she knew now that her love for him wasn’t any sort of weird authority figure thing. She loved him because of who he was deep inside. The war would end someday.


	21. Finders keepers

Sam hadn’t prayed in a long time but she prayed now. Prayed for Teal’c who did not believe in gods but who would appreciate the sentiment. She prayed for Jack hardest. She prayed and she wracked her brain for a solution to this stupid situation they had gotten into in the first place. The 301 had been one of her ideas and now… now it might cost her a brother and the father of her daughter. Sam chewed at her lip worriedly.

When the missiles didn’t work, she quietly spoke… “Digger One, this is Flight. We have no joy on the burn. I'm sorry, Colonel, but the missiles just didn't have enough thrust. Your current trajectory takes you out of the solar system and towards the Oort cloud, which you should reach in a…in a few months. We're all still thinking down here so…don't give up. 1813 Zulu.” And Sam’s heart shattered. It should have worked. Oh, please think of something Sam! She ordered herself.

When Daniel relayed Anise’s information she didn’t even need to ask. There was only one person important to her and Jack both that was a Tok’ra.

When the ring transports them, Sam isn’t even surprised but she has her gun drawn anyway and trains it on the door.

Jacob Carter walked through exactly as she expected him to. “Are you out of your minds?! What the hell are you two doing here?!” He demanded.

“We were looking for you.” She tells her dad.

“Well, you better have a damn good reason because I was twenty minutes away from detonating a weapons-grade shipment of naquadah that would have vaporized a sizable chunk of this planet! Now if I hadn't spotted you two coming through the Stargate…” he informed them.

“You saw us?” Sam asked him surprised.

“Yes, the ship was cloaked. 'Was' being the operative word. Now, they know we're here.” He admonished his daughter for screwing up his op.

Not having time for an argument with her dad, Sam cut in, “Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c need your help.” She told him, urgency dripping from her voice.

“What happened?” He asked them. This sounded serious and he knew Sam wouldn’t let Jack die if there was anything left she could do.

“They're stranded in a disabled Glider headed into space.” Daniel told him.

“This was the only ship within range.” Sam all but pleaded.

“Good enough. Well, let's go.” He told them and headed back to the cockpit.

Sam and Daniel shrugged at each other and followed him.

And while they flew back to Earth, Sam came up with an idea about how to get them into her dad’s ship but Jack was going to have to trust her entirely and she told Daniel and her dad so.

And things went well until her dad gave her crap for Earth technology being infantile of all things. She had no idea her dad was trying to take her mind off her worry about Jack because challenging her scientific abilities was too much for her to just let slide.

They bickered for a bit until his ship started sounding like the beat up second hand hooptie it was. And to add insult to injury it broke down in the hood.

Jacob put Daniel to chatting up the local Goa’uld system lord. Meanwhile he and Sam went to the back to try to hotwire his ride. It was close but they got underway before the Goa’uld Daniel tried to convince he was the great and powerful Oz started shooting at them too much.

They got to the stalled out death glider and Sam toggled the com. “Digger One, this is Carter. Do you read?”

“Are we too late?” Her dad asked her.

Sam bit her lip with worry. “I think they're unconscious.” She said hopefully.

“Well, we have to wake them up somehow.” Daniel said

Sam gave Daniel a ‘no shit Sherlock’ look. “Dammit, Colonel! We haven't come all this way to take you home in a box, now wake up!” she barked at her desultory lover.

When they don’t get a response, Jacob decides to get creative as the ships are nose to nose. “Let me give them a little nudge.”

That did it. Jack woke up disoriented and oxygen deprived.

“Colonel O’Neill?” She called him, trying to get him to focus.

“Carter?” He looks out the window. “Carter?” He asks again in surprise to see her.

“Yes sir!”

He can hear the smile in her voice and a very sappy side of him took over. “Hi.” He said grinning.

“Hi, sir. We're going to find a way to get you back home safe and warm. What's your reserve oxygen status?” She couldn’t afford to indulge him much but she was so relieved to see he was still alive. She explained to them both once Jack unceremoniously woke up Teal’c with a chucked piece of metal. She and Teal’c argued about the feasibility of her plan for a few moments before her dad cut in.

“Teal'c, the only way we can bring you aboard is with the ring transporter. That means you have to be clear of the Glider. You got it?” He demanded of the other man.

Jack was really loopy and making very random observations like dad’s ship is bigger that were making Sam choke back hysteria riddled relieved laughter.

She let Daniel run to them first and make sure they were okay. Honestly, she didn’t want to be the one if they weren’t.

As Jack reached out for Daniel to help him up he called forward to Jacob, “Hey…Jacob…Thanks for stopping by!”

“What the hell? I was in the neighborhood! Yah need a lift home?” he quipped, winking at Sam who bites on her smile.

“Yes sir, thank you.” Jack says with relief.

They let SGC know everyone was okay and Davis leaves the com on so Digger two can hear the eruption of cheers. “Yeah! Well done, Digger Two, well done! Congratulations! Now come on home!” Davis said.

Daniel helped Jack over to Sam and they look at each other for a moment before he wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you.” He whispered softly in her ear.

She hugged him back. “Let’s go home Colonel.” She tells him.

“Okay, but I am _really_ cold.” He admitted.

“Let’s go get you warmed up.” She tells him softly as she gently led him out of the room.

“Try to remember that’s _my_ bed Sam.” Jacob admonished them.

“Dad!” Sam blushed which makes Daniel and Teal’c laugh.

“Oh… was that a secret?” Jacob asked with false innocence.

“No.”

“It was not.”

Daniel and Teal’c say together.

“Oh god.” Sam muttered hanging her head as she helped Jack out of the room blushing furiously.

Jack chuckled softly. “It’s not like you didn’t know they knew.”

She helped him sit down on the bunk. “I know but god... Jack…”

He tugged her hand so she’d sit with him. Once she did he wrapped his arms around her. “I expect a very big hug from that little girl of ours when I get home.” He told her.

“Yes sir.” She told him chuckling.

“Okay, that’s just weird. I’m sitting on your dad’s bed, hugging you and you’re getting kinky.”

“Jack!” She squeaked at him and he chuckled. She grabs her dad’s pillow and wallops him over the head with it.

Jack’s chuckle rolled into a full laugh. “Thank you for saving me again, Sam.” He said once they both stop laughing.

“You’re welcome. Get some rest, Jack. We’re all right down the hall.”

He wanted to ask her to stay and knows he shouldn’t. He let her go without a word and huddled under Jake’s rather nice pile of blankets and is out like a light within moments.

* * *

“Uncle Jack!” Grace squealed at him as she launched herself out of the house at the car door. Janet concluded he shouldn’t go home alone but wasn’t sufficiently out of shape to stay under her watch. Daniel had put his hands up and announced ‘not it’ almost immediately.

Sam had rolled her eyes and said she’d take him home that if worst case she could leave him in Marge’s care while she went with her dad to Jack or Marge’s house.

Jacob was still on base and would bring Jack’s truck by later.

“Hey there monkey! I’ve missed you!”

“You saw me last week.” Gracie told him laughing, Her chubby four and a half year old arms around his neck as he’d lifted her for a hug.

“You excited about school yet?” He asked her.

“I can count to ten and know all my colors.” She told him.

“I don’t know… in first grade you do division.”

“Uncle Jack!” She said laughing and kissed his cheek. “No they don’t!”

Sam stood with Marge, grinning at their conversation.

“I have a surprise for you.” Jack whispered.

“What is it?” Grace whispered back.

“It’s a secret. Don’t tell your mom.”

Grace giggled. Jack whispered something in her ear.

“Really?!” she shrieked.

Jack laughed. “Yah sure you betcha.” He told her. “But don’t forget it’s a secret.” He said winking at Sam who covered an amused smile with her hand.

“What’s going on?” Marge asked.

Jack’s truck rumbled up behind Sam’s Volvo and when it stopped Jacob jumped out.

“Grandpa!” Grace shrieked and squirmed away from her father to get to her rarely seen grandfather.

“Jake?” Marge said shocked. She hadn’t seen him since he’d said goodbye to her during his cancer treatments. Sam had told her that he’d become a liaison for a group of foreign nationals who had better cancer treatments than the US does.

“Hey Marge. Good to see you. Hey kiddo!” He said and scooped his granddaughter.

“He looks great.” Marge told Sam.

“Full remission.” Sam said simply as Jack joined her on the porch wearing a heavy sweater under his leather jacket even though it was warm.

Marge looked him up and down. “Again? How many times are you going to get buried in a snowbank before you learn, Jack O’Neill?”

Jack had the wherewithal to look abashed. “It wasn’t my fault this time.”

“Go inside and get warmed up. I just made a pot of coffee. The afghan is under the end table.” She kissed his cheek and shoved him to the door. Marge shook her head. “I don’t even want to know. Is he taking the couch or the guest bed or your bed?” She asked Sam.

“Aunt Marge!” Sam said, scandalized.

Jacob was laughing in the background. “Sam, it might help if the two of you weren’t so transparent.”

Sam threw up her hands and went in the house to plop down next to Jack on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Everything all right?” He rumbled at her.

“We may as well just shack up together at the rate this is going. Apparently everyone knows how we feel about each other and that other thing will probably be next.”

Jack chuckled a little and kissed her temple. “Oh, it’s not so bad. It’s family, Sam. They were bound to notice.”

Sam sighed.

Grace bounded in dragging her grandfather behind her and climbed into Jack’s lap. “I’m going to go to school in a couple months, Grandpa, and I’m going to be smart as mommy.”

“Yah you are.” Jack said hugging her.

Jake smiled. They made an attractive family. He figured if he worked on Jack a little he might get the man to put his feelings ahead of his sense of duty. Or he’d have to talk to George about recommending Jack for General. Frankly, he didn’t see a real problem here. Jackson[1] was an old friend of George’s. He could probably get them a dispensation if he called in a few outstanding favors. They might have to wait until his rank changes so she’s not his direct subordinate.

“Uncle Jack! Grandpa says he’s going to get me a chemistry set.” Grace told him.

“Can I play with it too?”

“No. It’s mine.” She told him.

Sam started to laugh. At first it came out a sniggering twitter but the more she laughed the funnier she thought it was and Jack’s injured expression just made it worse until she was laughing so hard she was crying.

Finally after she calmed down a little she gave Jack and her dad a sheepish look. Marge was in the kitchen preparing dinner. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t _that_ funny.” She admitted.

Jack and Jacob exchanged a smile though. Given the level of stress Sam was under the last couple days they both knew it was better than a crying jag.

“Mommy, what’s so funny?”

Sam chuckled again. “I have no idea.” She admitted which made Jack and Jacob laugh too.

[1] President Jackson Evans as played by actor Jeff Bridges in the Contender (Kinsey hasn’t won the election yet) His brother Beau will later play Hank Landry in 2007


	22. Which Witch is which?

He’d shot her. He’d shot the woman he loves rather than let another thing reside in her body. Of all the rotten luck. But that… that thing was gone… whatever it had been. He’d told it he’d kill every last one of them if it didn’t let Sam go and he’d meant it. You didn’t repay an admitted accident with genocide. But damned if he was going to sit back and just take it.

He stroked her hair sadly. It was his call. Sam had him as her advocate because Marge was too soft hearted. Jack was finding he was too soft hearted as well. He didn’t want to let her go. Janet kept looking at him with exasperation but he wasn’t ready yet. Grace had just started school. He’d have to tell Dad and Marge what happened. He and Marge would probably sell the bungalow and put the money away for Grace for school later. He and Sam had privately had the paperwork drawn up that he’d assume custody if something happened to her. Marge had agreed to stay here for as long as Jack needed her to. He’d gotten pretty attached to that goofy hippy as well. Even if she did low key smell like weed most of the time.

Stuff would probably be legal in a decade or two anyway, he figured.

The soft beeping of the heart monitor lulled him slightly. He knew he had to let Janet turn off the machines… eventually… but… he wasn’t ready just yet and a few hours weren’t going to make a difference. If she was gone, she was already gone anyway. If she was gone this was the last time he’d brush her bangs away from her eyes or hold her hand or feel her warmth and he was going to savor that little bit of time even if she wasn’t there except physically. He needed time to pull himself together for their daughter who would need him now, not just love her fun Uncle Jack.

He thought about the Thing’s words. “This one is important.” It had known he loves Sam. Fortunately it couldn’t seem to quantify emotions because that was a truth bomb he didn’t need bought up again. Janet obviously already knew but she seemed to have decided he loved his entire team more than he’s supposed to which is true enough. Daniel and Teal’c had become more brothers to him. Yes the situation was different with Sam but they had a shared responsibility complicating things. He wondered if he’d feel as strongly if she wasn’t the mother of his child but he suspected he would. She was the kindest person he knew and so smart and for some reason put up with him and laughed at his jokes.

I’m going to miss you so much, Sam. I’ll make sure Grace never forgets her mommy. I promise he says to her silently, knowing either way she can’t hear him now anyway.

“SG-1 to the MALP room immediately.” General Hammond’s voice bellowed over the PA.

Jack, Teal’c and Daniel reached the MALP storage room where the computers were going haywire.

“I think our friend is back, Sir.” Siler told Jack.

“All right. let's blow it.” Jack growled. He was so done with this thing. He was considering blowing their world to kingdom come on principle.

But then… what the… the screen started going berserk and in the middle… ‘ _I am here_.’

“Wait, wait…” Daniel repeated over and over as the screen filled with ‘ _I am here_ ’ dozens, hundreds of times. “Look at this.” Daniel said… amazement in his voice.

“The entity.” Teal’c said, anger evident in his voice to Jack and Daniel at least.

“No. It said it couldn't go back. It's Sam.” Daniel insisted.

“Daniel, I shot her twice.” Jack reminded his best friend. In case anyone missed the part where he murdered the woman he loves to keep her from being used like a golem.

“After it transferred Sam's consciousness out of her body. You killed the entity after it put Sam into this…this thing. She's in here.” Daniel insisted, his hands gesturing wildly at the computer.

“Why? Why would it do that?” Jack asked confused. The thing had clearly not grasped the concept of love… or had it. It had insisted Jack wouldn’t be able to kill Sam because it knew Sam knew he loves her. And Jack wouldn’t be able to kill Sam… but he’d happily kill anything trying to use her body to manipulate his emotions.

“You demanded it. You threatened to send an army of probes through to its homeworld. Saving Sam and allowing itself to be killed was the only way to preserve its homeworld.” Daniel reminded him. His voice getting more excited.

Jack picked up the phone. “Get me Hammond.” He barked at Walter on the other end.

Shortly after, Janet confirmed that Sam is back in her own body where she belongs.

“Hey Carter, where yah been?” he asked her as though she’s taken an unexpected day off.

“It’s gone?” She asked him, her eyebrows drawn together in worry.

“Yes it is.” General Hammond assured her.

“I was shouting for you to hear.” Sam told them.

“We heard.” He told her, his heart in his eyes.

“All right, let’s get you back to the infirmary Sam, and check you out.” Janet motioned for the orderlies to wheel Sam back to whence she’d come.

Jack stood there, his hands shoved in his pockets, he watched them leave before George came over to him.

“You going to be all right, son?” Hammond asked Jack.

Jack let out a slow sigh. “Carter…. Carter has me listed as Grace’s legal guardian if something happens to her. She and Marge, and I talked about it. Marge would have stayed on as her primary caregiver.”

“Similar to your arrangements for Cassandra Frasier.” Hammond agreed.

“Yah.” Jack said. “I was trying to figure out how to tell Grace we’d lost her mom now that she’s old enough to understand what it meant.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, son… but you did the right thing. It was better to lose her than to give that thing a chance to take over the base.”

“I know that, sir.” Jack told him sadly.

“For what it’s worth, Jack, I think you’d be a great dad for Grace. She clearly already loves you.”

“Thank you, sir.” Jack said to him mystified by the other man who first had come right out and told him he knows things are beyond a close friendship with Sam and now was telling him what exactly?

George patted Jack on the shoulder wordlessly a couple times and left for his office.

Jack made his way to the infirmary. His heavy heart lifted the closer he got though, and by the time he reached Sam’s bed in the iso room where she was sitting up and talking to Daniel who squeezed her hand and left when Jack came in.

“How’s the ol’ noggin, Carter?”

“Much better, thank you, sir.” She told him.

“Good… good…” He said with a couple head bobs. “Can I get you anything? Newspaper? Your knitting? Laptop? Jell-O?”

Sam grinned affectionately at him. “I think I’ve seen enough computers for today sir… but I’d really like some Jell-O.”

Jack gave her one of his rare full smiles. “Anything you want, Carter. I’m all yours.” And left to get her a blue Jell-O from the commissary.

Sam smiled softly after he left the room.


	23. Sacrificial lamb

“Next thing you know I'm waking up with Colonel O'Neill looking down at me. I suppose it's possible I touched something inside the device.” She told Janet, leaving out the part where Jack had his hand on her face when she woke or that he’d kissed her forehead lightly when she’d assured him she was all right.

Janet pointed out Sam was anemic and over tired before she left and Sam just rolled her eyes. She was anemic every month. It was why Jack made her go out for steak regularly. Or invited everyone over and grilled them himself if it was even remotely nice out. That had started when he’d caught her taking iron pills during a mission their first year working together and she’d admitted she went through this like clockwork. He was ridiculously thoughtful sometimes but she had been able to cut back on the iron pills with a steady diet of beef once a month.

Sam let the nagging wash over her. Janet did it because she loves her so Sam took it in the spirit intended. “Are we done?”

“Yes.” Janet admitted. And Sam hops off the bed, an amused smile on her face.

“Make sure you come back if you start speaking in an alien language.”

“I'm sure I'll have no choice.” Sam called back to Janet as she leaves and resisted the urge to childishly flip her friend off like Jack would have to Daniel but her voice conveys it anyway.

After the briefing, Jack admonished her that she needed to relax a little but she admitted she really didn’t have anything else to do. Aunt Marge took care of Grace a good portion of the time and her daughter clearly needed no help in school so she was a bit at her wits end. Jack left and she insisted to the now empty briefing room that she was fine. She’d wanted to go back to the planet because she really wouldn’t have anything else to do for the next two weeks. Marge was taking Grace to see Mark and his wife Kim so she could get to know her cousins. Aunt Marge was better at fielding Mark’s questions about Sam’s love life so Sam was happy to stay home and not endure her brother trying to fix her up again.

But it did leave her nothing to do over the next couple weeks.

Sam went home early so she could see Grace off. Her daughter was picking which toy she wanted to play with in the car. “Mommy, who’s that man behind you?” She asked innocently.

Sam turned around but no one was there. “What man?”

“There was a man behind you.” Grace insisted.

Sam shrugged. There was no one there. She knew Jack hadn’t snuck in. He couldn’t with how loud his truck was. “Did Aunt Marge get everything packed for your trip?”

“I did.” Marge told her from behind her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before she passed her into Grace’s room. “One toy, doll. Your uncle is going to spoil you rotten with gifts and I’m not hauling back more than I need to.”

Sam smirked.

“But it’s two days, Auntie Marge.” Grace complained.

“So take some books.” Sam suggested. Grace had jumped from knowing her alphabet and sight words at the start of kindergarten to blowing past her peers. She’d need chapter books by first grade. She was already reading third and fourth level books from the library[1]. Somehow Sam wasn’t altogether shocked by this. Mark was already complaining his daughter Lisa was on her own in math and science already. He was great at accounting and was very smart himself but even Mark admitted Sam was a little smarter than him.

“I’d have to bring like... five books, mommy.”

“We’ll hit the bookstore on the way out.” Marge said to Sam. “How about you take your sketch book and pencils?” She suggested to keep Grace occupied. “You could draw what you see on the way.”

“Okay.” Grace agreed and hopped onto her bed which was now blue and teal with dolphins on it.

“I’ve got that covered.” A familiar male voice said from behind Sam.

“Uncle Jack!”

“Hey kiddo! This is from your gramps and me. He thought you might like some drawing supplies for the trip.” Jack told Grace.

“You talked to Grandpa?”

“Of course I did! He’s still on a mission but he said to give you a big hug… and a sketch pad.” Jack winked at Sam.

“All right, let’s pack these in your duffle bag and then I’ll start loading the car up.” Marge said.

“It’s a bug out bag, Auntie Marge!” Grace insisted.

“Military kids…” Marge muttered in amusement.

“I’ll help you pack the car Marge.” Jack offered.

“I’ll start loading the cooler.” Sam offered.

Everyone forgot about Grace’s visitor in the bustle to get Marge and Grace out the door. Jack hugged and kissed Grace and told her to be good for her aunt and uncle and not to blow anything up.

“Uncle Jack!” She’d giggled but kissed him and hugged her mom goodbye then climbed into her car seat on the passenger side in the back seat.

Sam and Jack waved until they couldn’t see Marge’s brown sedan anymore.

“Steak, Miss Anemia.” Jack told Sam.

“You know she can get in a lot of trouble tattling like that.”

“I was eavesdropping.” Jack admitted. “Go get your coat.”

Sam shook her head laughing but did as she was told. He bought her home early as she really was tired. He was glad Hammond had made her take a couple days off. He’d drop by with one of the guys to keep her company in a day or two.

The next morning Sam has a weird encounter with what she assumes is a nosey neighbor but when she gets off the phone with Daniel he’s standing behind her. In her house.

Her conversation ended with Orlin telling her he loves her as she slams the door on him. Her first call is to the base. The second to Jack.

She comes back later with a Code 3 team of engineers to find out why another alien has latched on to her. She and Jack stand in her house discussing her visitor. He’s fairly concerned at Sam’s revelation that this alien had been in her house since she came home for the day meaning not only had the alien been alone with her, he’d possibly been in contact with Grace. He did his best to reassure Sam but left with the team when Sam seems all right with being by herself with the joke that possibly the alien is shy since he’s only shown himself to Sam.

Sam entirely forgot about Grace’s comment and called Marge to see how their drive went. They talked for a while and she said goodnight to her daughter and wishes them a safe trip before going to bed.

The next day, Daniel asked Jack how Sam was and Jack avoided the question. He believed her but so far no sign of her little friend. He’s not sure how to answer Daniel’s questions without getting personal about things so he gave him stupid answers until Daniel gives up.

When nothing happens for the next three days, the Code 3 team came back and took all the surveillance equipment. And Sam, with a sigh, went into her living room. She turned on a light and Orlin is sitting behind her.

“I understand why you did it.” Orlin told her.

“Of course you wait until they took the cameras away.” She said with resignation.

She told him in frustration that she’s had a psych evaluation because of his antics. He talked her into trying to open her mind to the situation and she warned him not to say take it easy… mostly because if it sounds anything like Jack, she’s going to punch this guy even if her hand passes through his face.

She faced him as he blurs into a bloom of light in front of her and touches her mind.

_“You have a daughter.”_

_“Yes.”_

_“She is special.”_

_“Yes she is.”_ Sam thinks at the entity, thinking of her daughter’s intelligence.

_“No… she belongs with her own kind.”_

_“What?”_

Sam opened her eyes and stared at Orlin in shock. “Oh my god…” But Orlin has disappeared.

* * *

The next morning before she even changed for the day she tracked Jack down and asked him what he thinks of the situation and her idea after forcing him to admit the Code 3 team probably left a camera intentionally. Jack seemed kind of annoyed with her but he also needed to use the bathroom so he could have also just drank too much coffee. It didn’t look like he’d left base last night.

When she got home that night, Orlin pestered her about being late from work as though it was any of his business.

“Hey, this is not a relationship we have going here. I don't even know what it is.” She huffed. More importantly she needed to get him the hell out of her house. She knew she was probably being watched which meant Jack wouldn’t be dropping by just to hang out. She was stuck with this fruitcake who set a romantic dinner for the two of them until she figured out how to get rid of him.

Orlin decided to reveal that he was solid now and tried to talk her into starting a relationship which is about the last thing she needed right now.

And then the doorbell rings and she just _knows_ who it is. “Oh boy.” She huffed.

Jack yelled her name through the door and started banging on it when she doesn’t answer.

Sam shoved a now permanently solid Orlin into a closet and goes to the door. Of all the rotten stinking timing Jack she thinks as she pulls the door he’s been pounding on open. “Hey guys, what are you doing here?” She asked Jack and Teal’c who is amusingly sporting a cowboy hat and holding a pizza box with a rental on top of it.

“We brought pizzas and a movie.” Jack said cheerfully, having solved the how to come over without it looking like a date problem by bringing a large Jaffa chaperone with him.

“Star Wars.” Teal’c tells her rather enthusiastically for him.

She called Jack out on lying about never seeing Star Wars.

“Well, you know me and sci-fi. Come on, we never just get to hang out, so I thought we'd…” he’s telling her until he sees the table behind her.

“Uh, Sir, as much as I, ah…” She tried to figure out how to tell him in code with Teal’c standing there watching them because this isn’t about she and Jack being emotionally involved with each other this time.

“Carter. Do you…already have company?” He asked.

“Kind of.” She hedged.

“A date?” He seemed a little amused. He’s got a pretty good idea what might be going on but he’s keeping that to himself.

“I can understand why you might assume that I didn't have plans.” She gave him a ‘please go away’ look.

“Don't worry about it. We'll find something else to do.” He looks to Teal’c for confirmation who nods.

“I'm really sorry, I mean this is a surprise, very unexpected.” She said nervously, hoping like hell he figures it out.

He gave her the pizza and told her to have fun and that he and Teal’c would make other plans.

After they leave, Orlin and Sam discussed his past and Oma. Eventually Orlin admitted to her that he descended as much for himself as for her and he’ll accept if they don’t become anything more.

“Orlin, it’s not that… it’s… complicated.”

“Because of your feelings for Grace’s father.” He told her.

Sam nodded slowly. If there were any more devices the less that she said the better.

“You love him very much.”

“More importantly his daughter loves him and I won’t do anything that would jeopardize their relationship.”

“I understand.” He said sadly. “She’s like me though.”

“What do you mean like you?”

“She’s like my people.”

Sam shook her head. That was impossible. His people died out centuries ago.

* * *

After he dropped Teal’c off at the base for the night Jack called Marge. “Hey hot stuff. How’s my monkey enjoying her vacation?”

“Oh hey Jack.” Marge chirps at him. “She’s playing with her cousins. Want me to get her?”

Jack grins. “Well yah.” He says as though it’s a dumb question.

Marge laughs at his tone and calls Grace to the phone.

“Who is it? Is it mommy?”

“Nope, it’s Uncle Jack.”

Grace squeals excitedly and snatches the phone.

“Uncle Jack?” Mark asks her, his eyebrows up.

“One of the guys on Sam’s team. He gets attached to everyone’s kids.” Marge said with a chuckle.

“Is that…” Mark was concerned. Normal guys didn’t take an interest in other people’s kids.

Marge moved away from where Grace might hear her. “Mark, he lost his little boy a few years ago. Being around his friends’ kids helps him deal with it emotionally.” She was not about to explain Jack was Grace’s father until Sam gave her a go-ahead.

“Oh.” Mark said, suddenly feeling bad about his previous suspicions.

On the other side of the room Grace was talking a mile a minute. “Lisa has an American Girl doll, Uncle Jack. Can I have one? She’s really pretty and you don’t have to get just girl clothes for her. Auntie Kim made her a baseball outfit and a space suit and a uniform like you and mommy wear.”

“Is that so? Well, I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” Jack says, smiling.

“They don’t make a boy doll but I bet if you got one with its hair short I could cut it to look like a boy.” She suggested. “Uncle Jack, who was that man at my house the day I left?”

“What man?”

“The one that was behind mommy before you got there but he left when he heard you.” Grace proceeded to describe the man Sam had called Orlin.

Jack paused. He’d been a little concerned about Sam’s visitor but now huge claxons were going off. She’d been telling him the truth the whole time. “I’ll ask your mom when I talk to her later, kiddo. Hey, can I talk to your auntie for a minute? It’s getting pretty late here and I need to get to bed.”

“Okay, Uncle Jack. I miss you.”

“I miss you too Grace.” And he did.

“Auntie Maaarrgeee… Uncle Jack wants to talk to yoouuu….” She said, waving the phone above her head.

Marge snatched it. “Thank you.” She told the five year old. “What’s up?” She asked Jack.

Jack sighed. “I’m a little worried about some stuff around here. If Sam calls you and asks you to extend your vacation just go along with it, okay?”

“Jack, is everything all right?”

“I’m not sure but I’ll keep her safe. I promise.”

“All right. You keep you safe too Jack. I’ll never hear the end of it if you don’t.”

Jack chuckled. “I bet she’d brain you for telling me that.”

Marge made a rude noise. “Only if it’s a fair fight.” She said laughing.

Shortly after Jack called Sam. “Carter. Are you alone?” He asked her softly.

“Hang on a second.” He heard Sam say something about going for a walk and then scuffling as she put on her shoes and jacket. “Sorry sir, he’s figured out how to be solid, that’s why I shooed you out of the house the other day.”

“Why did you not tell me about this?”

“I just did sir.”

“Gah, Carter quit calling me sir. It’s weird. All right. Try to keep me in the loop if he does anything weirder than he’s done already. Thank god Grace is at Mark’s with Marge.”

Sam sighted. “Yah.”

“Sam, Grace described a guy that sounds like your visitor. I think she could see him before we could.”

“Probably.” She said, sitting down on a swing at the grade school at the end of her street. “Children’s minds are more open to unusual experiences.”

“Has he said anything about her?” Jack asked concerned.

“He’s told me a couple times that Grace is like him. I don’t really understand what he means by that but the first time he said she belonged with her own kind.”

“She belongs where she is. With her parents who love her.” Jack growled. “Try not to let him go anywhere without you, would yah? I don’t know what his game is but…”

“I don’t either, Jack. He seems innocent enough other than the deal with his comments about Grace and hitting on me.”

“Hitting on you?” There was a chuckle in Jack’s voice.

“You don’t think anyone else would find me attractive?” She huffed at him.

“On the contrary, Sam, most of the guys I know find you attractive. I just don’t know many of them brave enough to approach you.”

“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted by that.” She told him chuckling.

“Sam, you’re stunningly beautiful and brilliantly intelligent. Trust me, you intimidate the hell out of nearly every guy on base.” There was warmth in his voice. “Besides, they all have access to your range scores.”

Sam laughed. He was teasing her. “If you’d smile once in a while, the ladies on base might like you too, Jack.”

“I like the ladies I already have.” He told her. “I told Marge there’s something going on and to expect a call from you to extend her vacation. I know the school will complain probably but I’ll try to smooth that over for you.”

“All right, I’ll tell her there was a gas leak or something.”

“You should get back before your ‘guest’ goes looking for you.”

“I did not invite him over.” Sam huffed. “I’m not a fan of his interest in our daughter either.” She growled.

Jack laughed. “Hang in there, Carter.” He hung up wishing he could say what he wanted to at the end of that exchange but knowing how problematic this was already…

* * *

Sam bickered with Simmons about the wisdom of firing up the weapon Orlin told her was extremely dangerous. When she finally got home, Orlin had trashed her microwave to make her an emerald. It was a sweet gesture but it wasn’t her birthstone. She sighed inwardly.

She took him for a walk and told him what Simmons wanted to do.

He let her know that the Others would stop them and the results would be tragic.

Nine days later Simmons confronts her with Orlin’s purchases

Sam acts shocked that Simmons has been spying on her even though she’d assumed all along which was as much the reason she’d taken a walk to talk to Jack as taking Orlin for a walk to discuss the weapon.

Later that night Simmons is determined to storm Carter’s castle and Jack does everything he can to deescalate the situation before Sam gets hurt or worse. He suggested Sam go in and talk to the guy. She had told Jack he was nice, just a little troubled, and Jack trusted her judgment.

She went into the house and told Orlin she didn’t turn him in. Jack hadn’t either she implied.

“I didn’t think you did.” He said, meaning them both.

Jack warned her that the breach team was coming in and she gave Orlin a helpless look.

Orlin activated his homemade Stargate. “You know how I feel about you. I hope this isn't goodbye.” He said.

Sam looked up at the stairs and follows him through. She was going to be arrested either way and hopefully she can help him first. Thank you for the warning Jack, she thinks as she steps through to Velona.

Reynolds, Sam and Orlin argue about the weapon. Sam tries to reason with Al but he’s determined to follow his orders. Orlin tried to stop Al but ends up shot instead. “I can’t believe how much this hurts.” He said surprised.

“Major, we got to get out of here.” Al tells her as the generator starts to overload but they can’t. If they do, the blast might telegraph through the gate and take out half the SGC with it.

“I have to go, Sam.” Orlin tells her, touching her face gently. “They've given me another chance. It's the only way I can save you.” And he returned to his ascended form, taking the overloaded naquadah straight up where it can explode harmlessly in the sky. A bolt of lightning nails the weapon and completely destroys it for good.

* * *

It was a grueling debriefing but it was finally over and Sam has a black mark on her record but so does Jack for telling George it was his idea to try to draw Orlin out to find out what he wanted. As their collective actions saved the mountain and possibly the Earth, everything is brushed under the rug.

They are standing together in the base parking lot, Sam leaning against her car door.

“You okay, Carter?”

“I am. It was… weird. But I’m okay.”

“Tell yah what. Come back to my place for the night. Tomorrow morning we’ll come with you and clean up your house.”

“You don’t have to. The basement is trashed but…”

“Sam, they tossed your house. I already have an SF sitting outside because they breached your door. You’ll need a new door frame. I’ll hit the hardware store on my way over in the morning.”

She looked up at him, gauging his feelings about the last few weeks.

The lot was video monitored so Jack didn’t do what he wanted to do which was hold her and assure her everything was all right between them.

“Jack… I… nothing happened.”

“I know.”

She looked up at him.

“Look, he seemed like a nice enough guy and all… but I know you. You like a little more edge.”

Sam grinned foolishly. “Sir, you have no idea what I like.” She said chuckling. “But you’re right. He wasn’t my type. I’ll meet you back at your house?”

“Yah, sure.”

She nodded and gets into her car and drives off. She’ll need to get some clothes as she doesn’t keep things at his house at all. If she stays overnight she usually just sleeps in her t-shirt and panties. If only Jack knew her type had nothing to do with edge and everything to do with being honest and kind and funny. Most of all funny.

She called Marge. “How’s the vacation going?”

“Mark bought her an American Girl doll and a horse. Oh and about twenty pounds of clothing and an erector set. I won’t be able to see out the back of my window. She read every book she came with, half her cousin’s, and I have to take her to the bookstore again, I assume?”

Sam chuckled. “Gas leak handled. The guys are going to help me clean up the house tomorrow. If you need me, call my cell or Jack’s house.”

“Oh… something you need to discuss?”

Sam laughed. “It’s not that. There was some stuff and the house is really trashed. The guys are going to help me clean it up.”

“Well have a good time tonight and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Aunt Marge!” she said, scandalized by her suggestion.

Marge laughed though and hung up.

[1] By the middle of first grade I was reading at a 6th grade level. By that summer, my mom gave up and let me read whatever I wanted. I blew through her Agatha Christie novels that summer. I’m betting Grace is at least as smart as me ;)


	24. No good deed…

It started with a call from Marge. Sam had dropped Grace off for dance class and headed to the gym. Marge had gone to pick up Grace and take her to lunch but when she called Sam she got no answer and she wasn’t at the house. Thinking perhaps Sam had taken her advice and gone to Jack’s instead of the gym, she tried him next but Jack hadn’t seen Sam since the other night when she popped in his office to say goodnight while he was fighting with overdue paperwork.

Jack really wished Marge had guessed correctly because now he was in Hammond’s office telling his CO that his second was missing and no one had seen her for two days. He’d already called the police yesterday who told him it had to be forty eight before they would even list her as missing. Jack had hung up frustrated. He could get that kind of service from his own people.

The first lead Jack gets is from a homeless guy living in the corner of the parking lot behind the fitness club Sam had gone to after dropping Grace off.

Jack traded his National Geographics for some intel on ninjas. Great. My kid is going to kill me for that one, Jack thinks. Grace was reading the paleontology ones lately. He _really_ hoped she wouldn’t take up archeology. He didn’t think he could take Daniel _and_ Grace chatting at him about rocks all day.

Jack decided to pull out the big guns and has Daniel try to make contact with Maybourne.

Deciding to kill two birds with the same stone, Jack pulled a crate of Nat Geos that he’s pretty sure Grace isn’t going to take more than a passing interest in and looks around for the homeless guy. Not finding him he left the crate where he’d seen the guy last.

He exchanged insults with Harry for a bit before they get down to brass tacks.

Jack eventually admits Sam is missing and Harry suggests user 4575. Harry warned him that Sam might be gone. Jack really doesn’t need to hear that. He’s already frantic as it is. He knew Grace is getting suspicious. It’s not like her mom to go on a mission without Uncle Jack and she knows that. This is not how Jack wants her to find out he’s her dad.

Jack headed for DC to knock Simmons around some. Simmons tried to pin it on Harry which while not entirely unlikely... it has legs and those legs get longer when Jack sees Harry might have sold them out.

In the meantime, Harry did his own digging. He went back to the woman he sold out the SGC to for answers. He didn’t find out anything useful though which made his decision for him. Conrad’s flunky wasn’t going to give him anything.

Jack tracks him down which honestly, Harry saw coming a mile off. He didn’t blame the other man for wanting to shoot him but Harry knew who bought the symbiote. They broke into the doctor who bought the damned thing’s office and Harry hacked the guy’s computer system, something Jack thinks ironically, would be Sam’s job. But Sam was missing and Jack hoped like hell she was still alive.

It took another two days to coordinate everything but Jack had a plan and a SWAT team as well. They were getting her back. Harry talks him into letting him help against Jack’s better judgment

Jack and Harry walked in on a pair of doctors about to inject Sam with something. He draws down on the doctor, Jack orders him to drop the syringe.

While Harry hustled the doctors over to the wall, he asked Sam if she’s all right. Relief obvious in his voice.

“Yes. Very dramatic. Thank you.” She says of his entrance, a smile in her voice. She’d bet he’d always wanted to do that.

“You bet.” He replies with a tight grin. Sam told them where the keys to the cuffs are and while Harry handled that he tags Daniel over the radio. “Daniel, we got Carter. She's okay.”

Daniel sighed in relief. “That's good. I think we have another problem, though.” He said looking down at the dead body of Diana Mendez on the floor.

Sam jumped off the gurney “They put it in Conrad to cure him. They thought they could use me to find a way to remove it.” She told Jack.

“Good to go?” He asked her as he handed her a gun. He had no idea what kind of hell she’d been through but she looked all right physically.

“Yes sir.” She reassured him, knowing what he was discreetly asking her.

Jack and Harry discussed Harry cutting out after Jack got Sam out of the room. No one believed Maybourne that he’d still be there when Jack came back.

They got separated though looking for Conrad and unknown to Jack, Simmons got the drop on him. Sam found him moments later out cold and bleeding. Her heart in her throat, Sam finds his pulse and sighs in relief. “Man down. Colonel O'Neill's been shot. This is Major Carter. I'm in the boiler room. Repeat. Colonel O'Neill has been shot. We need an ambulance now.” Jack moaned and Sam would admit to herself that it was the best thing she’d heard in days other than his dramatic entrance.

“Sir, are you okay?” She asked him gently.

“I've been shot, Carter.” He whined.

Struggling not to laugh at his misfortune in relief, she answered, “I know. Your vest stopped one of the bullets.”

“I want sleeves on my vest.” He complained which made Sam chuckle softly.

* * *

After Hammond left the room, Sam sat in the chair next to Jack’s bed.

“Carter?”

“Sir?”

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you sir. I’m glad you’re okay too.”

“Other than the hole in my shoulder.” He grumbled.

Sam patted his hand affectionately.

“Did you call Marge?”

“I did. Aunt Marge is probably going to lecture you for getting injured again.” She told him in amusement.

“I think she’ll forgive me when she knows the reason.” He turned his hand and squeezed her fingers.

“How about I go get you a piece of pie and the chess set sir?” She said getting up and impulsively kissed his forehead. “Thank you Jack.” She said softly as she did so and was gone.

Jack lay there grinning after she left. That just might have been worth being shot over.


	25. There but for Grace

Sam sat despondently on her sofa. Grace was curled in her lap. Marge had taken one look at Sam and decided to stay and make her some tea. Grace had already had dinner and Marge knew if Sam hadn’t, she wouldn’t want any.

“Grace, why don’t you get ready for bed doll?”

“Do I have to Auntie Marge?”

“Yes dear. Go on.”

Grace sighed and kissed her mom’s cheek. “I’m sorry you’re sad, mommy.” She told her then headed down the hall.

Sam propped her elbow on the arm rest and put her chin in her hand, blinking away tears.

“I know you can’t tell me what happened Sam, but I’m here for you.”

Sam swallowed a sob and Marge was next to her holding her. Whatever it was, it had been terrible. Sam hadn’t cried like this since Jack came back from being missing… uh oh… “Sam…?”

Sam shook her head though so Marge just held her until she calmed down again. “We lost Daniel.” Sam finally choked out.

“Oh no! Lost as in missing or lost as in…?”

“Jack says he’s still alive but… he’s... he’s not. There’s no way.” Sam sobbed.

Marge knew Sam loved Daniel as much as she did Mark and pretty much in the same way. “Oh buttercup.” She said sadly. And where the hell was Jack anyway? This was something they should be handling as a team not alone individually.

“He’s gone, Aunt Marge.” Sam said miserably.

Marge scooted them so Sam’s head was on her shoulder and she stroked through her hair that had finally started to grow back a bit after it had been shorn by Sam’s kidnappers a few months ago. “I’m sorry doll. I’m so sorry.”

“Mommy, what happened to Uncle Daniel?” Grace said coming back.

“He had to go on a very long trip, sweetie.” Sam told her.

“Is he coming back?”

Sam shook her head. “I don’t think he can.” She admitted.

“Not ever?”

Sam shook her head.

“How come Uncle Jack and Uncle Teal’c aren’t here?” She asked.

“Uncle Jack is very angry that Uncle Daniel had to leave and he doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now.”

Grace seemed to think about that a lot. “When I get really mad because I’m sad I say I don’t want to be around people but I do.” She reasoned out.

“I know, sweetie, but I can’t make him realize that He has to figure it out on his own.” She told her daughter.

So that was the problem, Marge thought. Jack was balling up on his pain instead of relying on the people who love him to let him grieve with them. “I’m sure your Uncle Jack will be himself again soon when he realizes he misses you and your mom.”

Sam sighed. She had her doubts. He’d been so angry towards her. Not with her but in general and had pushed her away even though she desperately needed his support and love right now. She was starting to see why Sara had left him if this is how he’d been after Charlie. Jack didn’t process emotional pain well. She wondered what had happened in his childhood that made him that way. He didn’t talk much about his family and from the way he talked, everyone he’d been close with had already passed. Had he stood accepting his Masters’ diploma to empty chairs where his parents should have been? Jack seemed to have two reactions to death: resigned like he had been to Kowalski, or if it was family, anger like he’d been cheated by that person’s death.

Sam’s heart ached for her own loss but it ached as much for Jack’s.

“Why don’t you go on to bed sweetheart.” Sam told her daughter.

Grace gave her an askance look. Her mom usually called her kiddo. She only called her sweetheart when something bad had happened. Like that time Uncle Jack had been missing. Grace had been little and didn’t remember much more than the worry in her mom’s voice when she called in the morning before she got to work trying to rescue Uncle Jack and mom calling her sweetheart. “Can I read?”

“Yah.” Sam said without bothering to tell her only for an hour. Grace could tell time, even on an analog clock. A factor she was very proud of, as most of her friends couldn’t do that yet. Grace could do a lot of things her friends couldn’t do. She could count to over a hundred, she could multiply and divide and convert fractions. That last one might be because Auntie Marge likes to sew and showed her how to calculate fabric and was starting to show her how she used something she called ‘trig’ to redesign patterns if she didn’t like what she had already and couldn’t find what she wanted.

She watched her mom as she walked to her room. Something bad had happened to Uncle Danny. Why wasn’t Uncle Jack here? How come it was okay for him to come over if he got shot by a bad guy or fell into an ice cold lake and couldn’t get warm but was too good to comfort her mom when she was sad.

Grace realized for the very first time she was angry at her beloved and arguably favorite uncle and she felt she needed to have words with him about that.

She picked up the doll he’d gotten her and had its hair redone to look like his before it had gone grey he’d told her and sat it on the bed. “You aren’t being very nice to my mommy.” She admonished her Uncle Jack doll who was dressed in a tiny SGC uniform.

Back in the living room Sam had at least picked up her tea and was sipping it.

“I’ll stay here tonight.” Marge told her.

Sam nodded sadly. She really could use the company.

They didn’t talk after that. Marge was certain whatever had happened was something Sam couldn’t discuss outside of work and the person she needed to talk to about it was hurting too much himself to be able to comfort Sam. Marge wished he’d realize they could comfort each other but she wondered if that was part of the problem. That the kind of comfort they needed from each other was effectively forbidden even if they didn’t assign any emotional attachment to the action. She’d bet her last buck that if it wasn’t for the regs Jack would have asked Sam to marry him long ago. He loved his daughter, he adored Sam. She’d told her that if their current command structure changed they had agreed to take a chance on each other but had warned Marge that might not be for several more years and that she didn’t expect Jack to wait for her.

Marge expected it though. If either of them was going to crack, Marge knew it would be Sam who, she noted, had dozed off.

Marge pulled the afghan over Sam and went to bed. She chuckled at the contents of the guest room top drawer. It was supposed to be for all the guys but the pajama pants in here had cartoons on them. The drawer below was hers and she retrieved one of her nightgowns and changed quickly.


	26. The measure of intelligence

Three weeks later Sam called Aunt Marge on her way home to let her know she’d be late or possibly not home at all. Marge had tried to pry but Sam had remained tight lipped about it. She and Jack were going to talk tonight and either have one hell of a fight or… something.

Sam realized what that or something might end up being.

He’d been very touchy with her after they had nearly drowned. In fact, after, he’d nearly been his old self. She wanted things to stay that way. She needed him, needed his support right now. Moreover, she knew he needed hers.

She knocked on his front door before just walking in even though she knew the door wasn’t locked. “Jack?” She asked as she came in only to be confronted by a just showered Jack O’Neill who swiftly moved the towel he’d been scrubbing at his wet hair at to his crotch and gaped at her like a guppy.

“Sam!” He yelped.

“I’m sorry... I’ll…” She pointed at the door she’d just come through and started to turn when his hand reached out and took her arm.

“Stay.” He said gruffly. “Please.” He added, a plea in his eyes.

Sam nodded. Her heart was racing. Talking might be for later she realized as he moved into her personal space and kissed her, gently at first but when her hands settled on his hips and pulled him closer he let out a soft needy growl and changed the angle of the kiss, nipping her lower lip, asking her if she wanted more. She answered him by sliding her hands under the edge of the towel he’d hastily hitched on his hips and giving it a tug hard enough to make the fold come loose, leaving his tight muscular rear free for her to cup and slightly dig her nails into.

“Sam…” he said, breaking the kiss. “Are you sure?”

She looked up at him for a long moment and turned to the door. He sighed and started to pick up his towel when he heard the lock on his front door engage… and Sam was still in his front hall, looking at him… expectantly.

“C’mere” He said softly and took her hand to lead her to his bedroom, her purse and his towel forgotten on the hallway floor.

* * *

Her head was on his bare shoulder, her arm across his stomach and her hand on his hip. She was idly stroking the edges of a scar there. Jack wasn’t quite asleep but he was close. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass lately, Sam.” He told her and kissed her hair.

“I know keeping people away when you hurt is a defense mechanism, Jack… but I wish you’d let me in.”

“I’m working on trying to, Sam. It’s… hard.”

“I know.” She told him softly and tilted her head up to nuzzle his chin. “But I’m not scared off easily.”

Jack chuckled a little then sighed. “I realize my timing sucks, but was this my apology to you or something more?” Crap, he thought, that came out terrible.

“You are really bad at this, aren’t you?” Sam asked him, chuckling a little.

“You sound surprised, Carter.”

Sam chuckled again though. “I’m really not.” She admitted. “It’s what you need it to be right now, Jack. I don’t expect anything.” She admitted.

His hand came up to her cheek. “You deserve more than this, Sam.” He told her before kissing her deeply. It was a long time before they spoke again and this time it was Jack lying on her shoulder, his hand stroking the damp curls between her legs. “I hate that I can’t make you any promises or tell you how I really feel.” He admitted.

“You already have, Jack.” She said sleepily.

“I did?” He said confused.

“Mm hm. You leave me snacks and bring me Jell-O when I’m sad, you make sure I get something with lots of iron in it every month. You trust me no matter what.” Her voice was trailing off sleepily. “Love you too.” She mumbled before dozing off.

Jack pulled her close and sighed. He’d tried after the mind stamping thing. The Pentagon had told Hammond that Jack couldn’t stay with the SGC if he retired from the Air Force so he was at an impasse. He couldn’t make Sam any promises. He couldn’t walk away. He loved her and he loved his daughter. He knew Sam would never shut him out of Grace’s life but there was still the possibility that she’d eventually tire of waiting to be with him. And god help him, he was a selfish bastard and was going to accept what she was so willingly giving him until she decided she was done.

* * *

The next morning she woke to long clever fingers stroking her as his mouth claimed her breast. “Jack.” It came out a moan of submission.

His hands stilled. “Sam, last night was what it was, but if I make love to you this morning it’s because we willfully are choosing to ignore the rules.” He told her.

Sam looked at him thoughtfully for a long time. She flipped him on his back and straddled him. “Jack… I came over last night knowing we were either going to have a fight or this… or possibly both… but… I’m not sorry.”

He looked up at her. “That wasn’t what I was asking, Carter.” He said with a small frown.

She leaned forward and kissed him gently. “I trust you to keep this to yourself… sir.” And she chuckled because his body responded to her calling him sir while she sat across his hips.

“Oh yah… mum’s the word.” His hands threaded into her hair. “You know me.” He murmured as he drew her back down. “Soul of discretion.” He claimed her mouth again and she melted into him.

It was late morning before he decided as much as he was thoroughly enjoying this side of her personality, that Sam really needed to go home at some point. They would have to be discreet going forward. Grace was old enough to notice her mom was having sleep-overs at ‘Uncle Jack’s’.

They showered together, washing each other’s bodies, and occasionally making out under the warm spray of water.

Sam was putting on her shoes when he finally screwed up the courage to bring it up. “You know we can’t really date like normal people.”

“No.” She agreed. “But we can keep spending time with one another and once in a while slip Marge a twenty to look the other way.”

Jack looked at her scandalized. “Are you sure you’re my Carter?”

Sam smiled shyly up at him. “Your?”

“Here’s the part where I’d normally backpedal for admitting that.” He grinned a little. “But yes, _my_ Carter.”

“As long as I get to call you _my_ colonel.”

Jack coughed a little traumatized by how turned on it made him to hear her say that. “Of course.” He told her thoughtfully and gave her a gentle kiss before sending her home. “Give Grace a hug for me.” He told her as she got into her car.

“I’ll call you later so you can talk to her.” Sam promised and drove away.


	27. Sometimes yah just gotta get a little rough

It isn’t fair. Samantha Carter decides as she sits in her lab. They had just started to get things sorted out between them, had even had a couple of sort of ‘dates’ that included Grace so no one would look twice at their intentions until they got home and had quietly made love after their daughter was asleep. But now Jack was with the Tok’ra healing. She knew he’d be back but…

When he’d told her over my dead body she’d whispered softly back, so softly no one but he had heard her, “for Grace”. Then she explained the conditions. But she knew she had him at his daughter’s name. She didn’t know it was the love in her eyes when she’d pleaded with him that had done it more than the name of their daughter.

And then Thoran is telling them that Jack just wandered off without a trace. Sam is furious. Uncle George tells Thoran off and in that moment Sam couldn’t love him more.

Sam and Jonas pressure Thoran to give up information on Kanan’s last missions. When he doesn’t cooperate Hammond orders the Gate techs not to let him leave until he does. Thoran doesn’t take Teal’c threatening him well but he has no idea how badly Sam wants to shoot him.

When they finally do get the reports, Teal’c and Sam come to the same realization. That even if Kanan wouldn’t go back for someone who helped him… Jack absolutely would have, especially if there was any measure of love involved. Kanan must have loved this slave at least a little.

Thoran of course, argued that Kanan wouldn’t have cared enough about Lotor to go back even with Jack’s feelings on the matter. Sam reminds him she knows how deep the connection is even when the host isn’t entirely willing. She’d been unable to shake a love for Martouf that she didn’t share with Jolinar.

Teal’c’s meditation leads him to a realization of how they can rescue Jack. It’s a little crazy, in fact, Sam thinks it’s worthy of the man they are trying to rescue and she suspected Teal’c already knows that.

* * *

“Marge was okay with this?”

Sam shrugged. “It’s not like I’m going to be sleeping with you Jack. I’m just here to shake you out of the flashbacks.” She said simply.

Jack looked at her thoughtfully. “Would you though? I mean... not for… well… _that_ … but… you know.” He finished lamely, trying to explain he needed someone to hold him more than anything else.

Sam smiled at him softly though. “All right.” She told him and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Let me go change into my sweats and we’ll watch some TV before we turn in.”

“Yah… sure…” Jack trailed off, unable to figure out how to talk to her. He’d taken off to rescue another woman he wasn’t in love with but Kanan had been, coward though he’d been about it. That was what he didn’t like about the Tok’ra. They threw their lives away because they were afraid to stick their necks out.

Jack turned on the TV and VCR. He had at least four episodes of the Simpsons he’d missed so far. Sam came back and cuddled next to him with a book.

“Light reading, Carter?” He asked her chuckling at the title. ‘The Quantum World’[1].

“Actually, it’s written in laymen’s terms. I was kind of hoping it might make it easier for me to explain things to General Hammond when he asks questions.”

“What about me?”

“What about you?”

“You don’t worry about explaining things easier to me.”

“Jack, you understand how quantum mechanics works.” She told him.

“I... don’t.”

“Jack…” She says patiently. “You have explained quantum mechanics to General Hammond when I haven’t been able to.”

“I have?”

“Do you want to read this after I’m done with it?” She asked, smiling a little.

“Don’t you dare tell Daniel.” He admonished her.

“I’ll hide it in your underwear drawer.”

Jack just chuckles and shakes his head. “Is it any good?”

“So far. I’m not learning anything but like I said, I really only picked it up to see if I could use it to help explain things to Uncle George.” She admitted.

“You just called Hammond ‘Uncle George’.”

“I can go back to calling you sir all the time, sir.” She said absently as she turned a page.

“Okay okay… you win.” But Jack read over her shoulder more than he watched his show and he had to admit, the book was really well-written. Even he could follow it and he’d had a rough week.

The nightmares come that night but Sam was there to pull him back into reality, even when he screams another woman’s name and wakes up shaking in a cold sweat. In the end, Sam is glad she stayed. At least twice he silently cries himself to sleep in her arms. Whatever Ba’al did to him… it had been bad. Bad enough that he’d hallucinated Daniel being there to cope emotionally.

The next morning, Jack lets her sleep, knowing he’d kept her up half the night. He heads to the kitchen for Froot Loops and sits reading her book until she gets up several hours later.

[1] The Quantum World : Quantum Physics for Everyone by Kenneth W. Ford – 10 out of 10 would recommend for understanding Sam.


	28. High Crimes

“Arrested?! Why?!” Marge demands of Sam.

“Aunt Marge, if I had that answer I’d know what to do.” Sam tells her over the phone.

“But... it makes no sense. He called me from his cabin to talk to Grace while he was on vacation. From the land line.”

“You’re sure Aunt Marge?”

“I’m positive. I remember because I wondered who the hell was calling you from Silver Creek until I remembered him telling me that’s where his Grandparent’s place was.”

“You’re sure it was that number?”

“Positive Sam.”

“All right, keep that to yourself for now. I might need to have your phone records pulled but… well…”

“Yah. I get it, doll.” Marge told her.

She waked back into the hotel room she was sharing as a base of operations with Mal Barrett.

“Everything all right at home?”

“Fine.” Sam said noncommittally.

“Anything I need to know?”

“Nothing yet no…. no, there is something. You asked how I know for certain Colonel O’Neill is innocent. I have proof. He called my aunt to talk to my daughter from his landline at his cabin this weekend when he was in Minnesota fishing.”

“But you can’t use that evidence.” Mal said thoughtfully.

Sam looked at him sharply.

He waved her off. “I’m not interested in getting you in trouble for something that happened before you worked together, Sam. But I could see how someone might, especially Kinsey and his cronies. It’s a last resort only, Sam.”

She looked at him suspiciously, gauging if he could be trusted. She realized she had no choice. He’d either protect her daughter’s parentage as private or he wouldn’t.

“We have a murder mystery to solve, Major.” Barrett reminded her.

“Yah.” She sighed and they started discussing the illegal guns as they investigate the warehouse he takes her to.

Sam felt vindicated that none of the prints on the gun they retrieved matched Jack’s, even though she knew it wouldn’t even if Aunt Marge hadn’t confirmed Jack was up north fishing the whole time.

She talked to Hammond about the situation and he reminded her she wasn’t authorized to tell Mal about how the shape shifting technology had ended up in their hands in the first place. Sam sighed and told him she hoped it wouldn’t come to that but for all she knew, like knowing Jack is Grace’s father, Mal might already know.

They had a name now… and the man looked nothing like Jack at all. Sam didn’t care. She knew the NID had used the stolen shape shifting tech to frame Jack. Not that she’d ever believed the man she loved was able to kill someone from his own country even if they were political opposites.

Sam almost blew it when the committee decided her godfather was next. She pursed her lips hard enough to draw blood. She tried to sidetrack their plans with her Devlin disguise.

Barrett came through. She knew he couldn’t stop himself from following her and listening in. She possibly couldn’t read him as well as she could Jack or Daniel but she could read him. Her secret past was safe with him. For now at least.

* * *

“I feel dirty.” Jack said of standing with that rat while he congratulated himself as he stripped off his uniform. Daniel and Teal’c had gone back to their rooms. Only Sam was still here with him.

“It beats a brig.” Sam said with a shrug.

“I’m starting to doubt that.” He told her.

Sam got up off his bed and came over to help him loosen his tie so he could get it off having knotted it more tightly than he’d planned in frustration.

“I don’t need help, Carter.” He growled but when he struggled again after she drew her hands away she went back to helping get it loose.

“Mal knows about Grace.”

Jack looked down at her. “Mal?”

She shrugged. “Malcolm Barrett.”

“I know who you meant, Carter.”

Sam frowned a little. “We needed his help. I didn’t tell him. He found out on his own.”

“Do we have a problem?” He asked her, a concerned frown on his face.

Sam looked up into his eyes. “I think we can trust him.” She tells him.

Jack sighed. “He did get my fat out of the fryer even knowing that. I guess like all of us, his morality is subjective.”

Sam nodded. “Their next plan was to kill Uncle George.”

“And you didn’t shoot them?”

“It crossed my mind.” She admitted which made him grin.

“There’s my Sam.” Jack said amused.

“Oh, am I property now?” She asked him archly.

“That depends on if I’m your Jack?” he said to her, his hands settling on her waist, pulling her in. Sam pretended to think about it for a while.

“Carter, you are the worst kind of tease.” He told her, his mouth descending on hers. “Thank you by the way.” He said against her lips then claimed her mouth slowly. “Stay.” He said softly. “Please.”

“Okay, but only for a little while.” She agreed.


	29. Guess who’s back… back again…

“I knew you’d be back, Uncle Danny.” Grace told him with a pragmatic shrug.

The adults looked around at each other and shrugged. Jack was having a barbeque at his house. Daniel seemed a little out of it still and had asked Sam if they were involved which had made Sam nearly choke on her tongue and Jack laugh privately after when she told him about it. Sam had not found it nearly as amusing.

Marge was sitting with Janet. Each had a glass of wine in their hands. Cassie was laying on the picnic table bench acting bored.

“Did anyone think to invite General Hammond?” Jonas asked from the other side of the picnic table.

“I tried, Jonas. He said he was taking the grandkids to Disney this weekend.” Jack told him.

“No one takes me to Disney.” Cassie complained.

“You’d just mope.” Grace told her, her tongue out.

“Shut up.” Cassie told her good naturedly.

“Cass, your godparents took you to Disney at least three times when you were Tessa and Kyla’s age.” Janet reminded her.

“Must have been boring I don’t remember.” Cassie told her mom.

“I was three and I remember. You ate too much Dole Whip and barfed after riding the Matterhorn.” Grace reminded her, making the adults laugh.

“You had to bring that up.” Cassie sighed.

“You brought it up first.” Grace told Cassie with a grin and a Jack O’Neill worthy eyebrow wiggle that had most of the adults laughing and even Teal’c smiled in amusement.

“Okay.. change of topic…” Janet told the girls before the entire night revolved around the times the girls had barfed spectacularly.

“How is school going, Catherine Grace Carter?” Teal’c asked Grace.

“Stupid. The gym teacher keeps calling me Cathy and I never answer her and then she gets mad.”

“Have you told her you answer to your middle name?”

“Only five hundred and seventy two times, Uncle T. She sends me to the principal’s office anyway. I am so over it.”

“Jeeze. You sent her to ACL, Aunt Sam. You would think the teachers would be smarter.” Cassie said, groaning dramatically from her prone position.

“ACL?” Jonas asked.

“Advanced Creative Learning.” Jack supplied. “It was that or she was going to have to skip a couple grades.”

Jonas seemed surprised that Jack had answered the question and not Sam.

Sam caught Jack’s eye and gave him a warning look. Just because Janet had found out on accident didn’t mean the rest of the group needed to know. Jack gave her a small shrug and an acknowledging nod. He’d try to be less obvious about being their eight year old daughter’s father. Especially as Daniel wasn’t really up to speed mentally yet and while they were fairly certain he’d figured things out, didn’t want him blurting things out to Jonas who clearly either had no clue or had no grasp of the significance of the issue. As it was Jack had needed to carve out time for Grace and Cassie both as they had been overwhelmed at work lately.

“I recommend you speak to your instructor and be very firm about what you wish to be called Catherine Grace.” Teal’c told her.

“Oh, don’t tell her to stand up for herself, T. That never goes well.” He cut his eyes to Sam and smirked. The first time she’d done so to him she’d offered to arm wrestle him.

“Why am I suddenly thinking of Lou cracking up, Jack?” Sam asked him casually.

Jack gave her an innocent look. “No idea, Sam. I’ll go check the meat.”

Janet snickered from her spot next to Marge.

“Those two are about as subtle as a gay pride parade in Oklahoma.” Marge said, making Janet crack up.

“I ah… I don’t get that one.” Jonas admitted.

“Okay, well Oklahoma is about as straight-laced as you can get. And a gay pride parades are pretty much the opposite of that.”

“Hippies on steroids.” Jack muttered from the grill.

Marge threw a wadded up napkin at Jack who laughed as he batted it away.

“I have brought a DVD for you, Cassandra Fraiser and Catherine Grace Carter.” Teal’c told them.

“Watcha got Uncle T?” Grace asked him in interest.

“I have brought Willow.”

“Sweet!” Grace exclaimed.

“Aw come on.” Cassie said, rolling her eyes.

“What are you complaining about Cass? It’s got Val Kilmer in it.”

“Okay, but it’s a kid’s movie.” She huffed.

“Come on Cass! Quit complaining. Sorsha is awesome and you know it.” Grace wheedled.

“You just like that she kicks butt like your mom.” Cassie pointed out.

“She’s got a point.” Jack said. “Sorsha is a total bad a… er…” He trailed off as Sam gives him an arch look.

Janet chuckled under her breath.

“I’ll call you guys out when the food is ready.” Jack tells the girls as they went into the house.

“I will start the DVD player, O’Neill.”

“Thanks, T.”

Janet got up and poured herself another glass of wine. “Teal’c is going to have to drive everyone home.” She said chuckling.

“Not us.” Marge says. “We’re commandeering Jack’s bed. He can sleep on the floor.”

Janet smirked.

“But I have a bad knee.” Jack whined.

Marge was just hassling him. She’d be taking Grace home and leaving Sam behind if she wanted to stay the night. That might be ruined by Daniel sleeping over if he got drunk so she’d have Teal’c and Jonas pour the lightweight into a car. Unless Janet took him home…

Marge caught Janet’s eyes and looked over at Daniel then gave Janet a pointed questioning look. Janet shook her head sadly though. Marge frowned. There had been something there before but apparently wherever Daniel had been, whatever he’d been doing, it was gone now. Marge gave Janet a sympathetic half smile.


	30. A clone again

Fifteen year old Jack rode to his house with Sam. “I figured you wouldn’t appreciate me telling Hammond I called you before I went to sleep last night.” He told her, his arms crossed over his chest. “Plus how do I explain this to our daughter? Carter, are you _laughing_ at me?”

Sam snickered. “No.”

“This isn’t funny Carter.”

Sam bit back a chortle.

“Oh for cryin’ out loud.” He huffed.

Sam lost it. She laughed until she cried.

“Fine. Laugh. You won’t be laughing when you get arrested for statutory rape.” He grumbled.

This just made Sam laugh again.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Come on. Let’s go see if we can find out anything… sir.” Sam said smirking.

“Would you please quit enjoying this so much?” He groused at her.

She did take pity on him though and let him run his own briefing after his determined efforts to get into the conference room in the first place. It amused her to watch Jack as a kid keeping a bunch of seasoned pilots in line simply by his attitude and presence in spite of his appearance. She took mental notes for future reference.

* * *

Jack almost wished she’d go but he understood why she wouldn’t. He’d have been the same way had it been her. His cells were disintegrating. He was dying. He’d never see his little girl grow up. Probably never see her again now because the last thing they wanted to do was confuse her. They had talked on their ride back to the base. It would be better if they introduced him as Jack’s nephew, Jon, and that he’d gone on a mission then have him declared MIA then missing. That way Grace wouldn’t be the wiser. She’d lose her dad but gain a cousin. Jack was pretty sure Grace knew he was her dad. She was a smart kid. He didn’t say anything to Sam about it though.

Now he supposed it didn’t matter. He’d be dead soon. Sam was taking it hard. She was a trooper about it but she was taking it hard the same way he’d taken it hard when he’d had to shoot her. At least he knew for sure she loved him back. Fat lot of good it did him now.

* * *

Sam is a little relieved to learn the mini Jack is a clone and not her… well whatever Jack was to her. She didn’t even know where to begin to explain that situation to Grace. Of course, they had to find him first which had been easier than she thought it would be. He’d run into an old buddy who ratted him out and the convenience store had described him and told them which way he’d gone. Almost as if Jack did want to be found… eventually.

It was really almost comical introducing Jack to himself. Grace was starting to develop her father’s personality so Sam now knew exactly what she was in for. It was pretty amusing when he tricked his clone momentarily into thinking he might actually let him die. Come on, Jack, you know yourself better than that she’d mentally admonished the clone.

* * *

Cloned Jack sighed. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but it’s going to hurt too much seeing her every day… seeing you with her every day.” He admits of Sam.

“Yah. I could see how that would be a problem.” Jack agreed with the boy who now calls himself Jon. “The offer is open if you ever change your mind.” He tells the kid. A thought crosses Jack’s mind but he sets it aside.

Jack pulled up to Mountain Springs High School. They talked a little more and Jon decided he won’t keep in touch. Oddly, that wasn’t what Jack was planning to say to him. He was worried for the kid. He knew how doggedly determinedly he’d push forward through the pain but that wouldn’t make it go away. Something would have to be done eventually but for now he had to let the kid go until he realized he needed help or was willing to accept it when offered. Yah it would hurt but… he might be able to fix that.

Jon got out and walks up to a trio of giggling girls. ‘That’s going to keep you busy for about a minute kid, until you realize how vapid teenage girls are again. But it will buy me some time.’

As he drove away Jack dials the second number on his cell phone. “Carter! How do you feel about a science experiment?” Jack grins at her answer.


	31. Mistakes were made

It hadn’t started here. These doubts. Really it had started about a month ago. He’d been concerned for her of course because he always was but… she had expected… more she supposed. Oh, she hadn’t nearly died after all, but she’d thought after the way he’d been acting lately, that when she’d broken her arm she hadn’t even gotten a hug. Usually she’d have at least gotten that from him, right in front of everyone too, not caring who saw but this time… well… he’d still been caring, tender, but he’d been preoccupied too. As though, in spite of offering to buy her lunch, comforting her had only been an afterthought.

Even her dad noticed Jack was more preoccupied with the implications of the Kull warriors than the fact that Sam had been injured. She wasn’t able to pin down the problem so a couple weeks later, when she rejoined the Prometheus to help her limp home and all he’d said was good luck she had been casually distant. He’d looked at her oddly but shrugged.

* * *

Sam had headed for the engine room when they were attacked. She desperately tried to get another jump out of the cobbled Al'kesh drive that was designed for a ship a tenth of the size of the 303. Even if they could get a few light years away it might be enough….

Sam came to and looked around. She’d been thrown into the bulkhead when the ship was hit by enemy fire. A smiling little boy of about eight or so in a white baseball jersey and hat, stands, looking at her curiously. He has straight blond hair and hazel eyes very similar to Grace’s. Sam blinks and the child is no longer there. She gets up and follows where the child disappeared to on unsteady legs.

There was no one on the ship. She was alone. Worse no one could answer her radio call either. She made a log entry with her heart racing. Everyone was gone. Suddenly Sam was very glad Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c were safely back on Earth. They would worry for her because that was who they were. She tried the sub-light engines and got an error command.

She goes exploring and discovers the escape pods gone. At least everyone got off safely. She hoped. They must have missed her in the evacuation. The hallucinations don’t start until after she tries both the sub-light and hyperspace engines and fails.

Teal’c tells her she will die if she falls asleep. Sam goes back to the bridge and sends a distress call she knows deep down will not be heard. A child’s voice singing can be heard but she shakes her head. There weren’t any children on the ship.

She goes to the head to try to bandage the cut on her head as well as she can then walks to the mess hall to check on her food situation. She talks to herself as she goes to keep herself awake. It was a habit she’d gotten into when Grace had been little and asked her ‘why’ non-stop. When Sam has a dizzy spell, she sees the little boy again.

“Play with me.” He tells her.

She puts her head down and shakes it. When she looks up again the child is gone.

Sam sits mulling over the problem in the bridge while she eats a power bar. It looked like the density of the nebula was contributing to her driver issues.

Daniel shows up to agree with her. Then he accuses her of ignoring the thing she came here to look at which was the nebula.

After her conversation with herself… as Daniel… Sam discovers she has a hull breach. She has slightly over eight hours to solve this problem or escape. She said “Oh my god.” She thought ‘well this just fucking figures’. Oddly, she thought it in Jack’s voice.

* * *

Back on Earth, Daniel was asking Jack about Sam and seemed disconcerted by Jack’s responses. Jack had a sick feeling in his stomach that Sam was gone. He had no idea he was simultaneously right and wrong about that.

The worst part was Jack knew there was unfinished business. He’d been so worried about how the Earth was going to defend itself against those super soldier things that he’d been negligent of Sam’s feelings. He knew she’d had a really bad week on that planet with Anubis rearing his ugly snaky head, had been worried sick about her even while he was rescuing Daniel. And now she was missing again and all he wanted to do was take back those two weeks between saving Daniel and her leaving. He’d spent it pouring over her paperwork and hadn’t had much to say to her personally the more the implications sunk in as to how dangerous these things were.

* * *

Sam sealed off the area of the ship with a hull breach but she knew if she didn’t solve this problem the breach would spread. She would die.

The little boy appeared again, singing. “Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack.” He smiles at her as he comes toward her.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Sam asked him, perturbed.

“Let’s root, root, root for the home team. Come on, this way.” The boy leads her down a hallway.

“Wait!” Sam calls and follows but the boy speeds up around a corner and she runs into Teal’c again.

Teal’c warns her that she might be on the alien ship being mind-probed and it might be best if she did nothing at all.

Sam argues that she’s where she thinks she is and Teal’c disappears on her. Sam lies down for a few moments but gets back up, her head throbbing and makes her way back to the bridge. This is nuts, she thinks to herself.

Sam decides to try venting some atmosphere in the ship as propulsion but sees the little boy in one of the rooms being vented crying out for help. Even knowing it’s her imagination Sam shuts down the venting and goes to find the boy.

Daniel shows up, tells her he hasn’t seen the little boy and then decides to fill her in on this great theory that the nebula cloud is alive.

Her mental Daniel goes on to suggest the little boy might be a manifestation of the nebula. Sam decides mental Daniel is losing it. She feels like crap and slides to the floor while Daniel babbles on about talking to the cloud. Sam passes out again.

The little boy can be heard singing ‘Take me out to the ball game’ as he comes closer. When he reaches Sam he looks down. “My dad used to sing that to me.” Sam mumbles.

“How obscure.” He tells her. Sam looks at him oddly. It’s a strange word for a child to use and there’s something… familiar about him.

“I’m so tired.” Sam tells the boy.

“You can’t sleep. Not yet.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to talk.” He says with a shrug. He takes her back to the mess hall and makes her sit. He brings her a bowl of fruit while she sits, her head in one hand and in obvious pain. “Eat. You need to keep your strength up.” He says smiling at her.

“Do you have a name?” Sam finally asks.

“I’m Charlie.” He says with a little grin that reminds her somehow of Jack.

“Who are you?” He couldn’t be Jack’s Charlie. That was just insane.

“You know.”

“No, I don’t know.” Sam insisted. Charlie is dead. Had been since before she met Jack.

“I’m your father.” Jacob tells her. Charlie is gone and her dad is standing where the kid was a moment ago.

I am really losing it, Sam thinks. “Dad?”

Jacob sits down and tells her that she’s not happy, she’s just content with her situation. He adds that she’s in control and that’s a problem. That Sam’s mom had rocked his world, gave him more to chase than just career, and if he met her tomorrow he’d fall in love with her all over again even knowing he’d lose her. Then he admonishes Sam that she’s not chasing love because she’s afraid she’ll fail and she’ll end up lonely.

Sam is in tears because her dad is right. She’s been avoiding taking that final step because she’s afraid to rock the boat.

Her dad takes her hands. “It's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness. You deserve to love someone, and be loved in return.” He tells her. Sam though doesn’t put it together, doesn’t know what he really meant, and he disappears on her.

Back home, Jack talks to Hammond about what they had found out which is exactly nothing.

Shortly after Teal’c confronts him in the locker room. Jack is combative towards Teal’c’s silent assessment of his mood and tells him Sam was just as worried when Jack was missing as he was now about her. He leaves out that Sam had sobbed in his lap inconsolably.

Teal’c doubted O’Neill would be doing the same but the man he felt was a brother to him was hurting just as much if his anxiety and anger were any indication.

Jack gave Teal’c a wan smile and thanked him. He was telling the truth. He appreciated the large man’s comfort even if it was harder for men to express their anguish than it was women. Sam had worried she’d never see him again. He’d come home with a bit of help from her as per usual. So he’d find his Sam and bring her home or die trying.

* * *

Charlie was on the bridge with Sam blowing bubbles. His baseball was in his hat on the deck next to him. He’d already tried to get her to play ball.

Sam randomly started explaining surface tension to the boy who told her she was boring him. “Here, just try it.” Charlie half orders her as he holds the wand up to Sam’s face.

Sam shrugs and blows bubbles with Charlie for a while. What the hell difference did it make. She was going to die here anyway.

“Alright Carter, come on, on your feet, let's go.” Jack drawls at her from the shadows.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up.” She tells him. Everyone else had with the exception of family who weren’t in the program or involved with it in some way.

“You just gonna sit there?” He asked her, waving at her prone position.

“Too tired sir.” She admitted to him.

He walks over and sits across from her. “Samantha, I'm a figment of your imagination, you're gonna call me ‘sir’?” He asks her a little incredulously.

“Old habits, sorry.” She said, blushing a little. It was the location really.

He tries again. “So,” he pauses, “You gonna save yourself, or what?” He asks frowning a little in concern before he gives her an encouraging half smile.

“I’m tired.” She tells him again.

“So just giving up then?” He sounds surprised at her.

“I just don't know what to do right now.” She admitted to her figmentary Jack.

“You’ll think of something.” He assures her.

“Came to give me a pep talk?” She asks him tiredly.

“It's what friends are for.” He says with an amused smile. Teasing her as he often does.

“Friends.” She says to him, her tone disappointed.

“Hey, this is you talking here. Might as well be honest.” He says agreeably.

“What if I quit the air force? Would that change anything or is it just an excuse?” She demands of him.

“I would never ask you to give up your career.” He tells her. He wouldn’t. She knows that.

“Because you don't feel anything for me?” She taunts him.

“Carter?” He asks her, confused as to why she’d even think that.

“I'd let you go right now if I knew.” She admonishes him. For all she knew they were only sleeping together because it was convenient.

“That easy?” He asks, not really believing her by his tone.

“I didn’t say it would be easy.” She admitted to him. It would be terrible actually.

“Then what's stopping you? If you really want to know.” He said, because if she really wanted an answer, she had to know all she had to do was ask him how he feels about her.

“I’m trying.” Sam said to him in frustration like they didn’t have all this complicated stuff getting in the way of it.

“Maybe it's not me that's the problem here. Let's face it, I'm not that complex.” He told her, which was true, but also not true.

“Me?” Sam asked him incredulous.

“Sam, I’m a safe bet.” He reminded her. Because of their daughter he’d never leave and he didn’t have any other prospects. It would be so easy to just solidify things simply because it was convenient for both of them.

“As long as I'm thinking about you, setting my sights on what I think is unattainable, there's no chance of being hurt by someone else.” She mused sadly.

“Jacob was right. You deserve more. I will always be there for you, no matter what. Believe me.”

And Sam misunderstands what he means by that entirely. Thinking he means he’s letting her go, she chokes on a sob. “So what now?”

“Go save your ass.” He tells her as though it’s the most obvious answer.

“One last thing.” She says and he draws her into a deep tender, familiar kiss. Jack waits for her to ask him how he feels but she tells him “Never mind.”

The ship starts shaking and she leaves him in the shadows.

She returns to the bridge to find circuits overloading and sparking on the console. Charlie is absently throwing his ball up and catching it.

“What do you want?” She demands of the child.

“What do you mean?” He asks her.

“Whoever you are, I know why everyone else keeps showing up, why are you here? What do you want from me?” She demands of the child. Was he only here to remind Sam the only reason Jack was around was for his child?

“I don't want anything, but you do. …Root for the home team if they don't win it's a shame.” He sings. He picks up the bubbles he’d been blowing earlier and blows a few more.

Sam suddenly realizes something and runs off.

Moments later Sam is back in the engine room. She’s frantically typing code. “What you looking at?” Charlie asks her.

“It’s complicated.” Sam tells the boy.

“Try me.” He says in an impossibly Jack O’Neill kind of way.

“I'm going to try and save myself with a bubble.” She tells the kid, still frantically typing.

“How?” He asks in interest.

“The hyperdrive won't fully engage because of the cloud, but maybe it doesn't have to. If I can dial down the power flow from the hyperdrive emitter, theoretically I should be able to create a partial shift into hyperspace, essentially taking the ship out of the cloud's space-time. Hopefully just enough to eliminate its effects on the sub-light engines.” Sam says.

“Neat.” Charlie tells her and Sam knows it’s not her imagination at this point, who the boy is.

“Yah.” Sam agrees and goes back to the controls. When she looks up, Charlie is gone again.

It works. When she fires up the engines with a bubble around them the ship propels towards the alien vessel. Unsurprising everyone shows up again. Daniel to ask what she’s doing, Teal’c to offer up an explanation and admonishment that she needed help to rescue the crew… and Jack… to offer her his unwavering faith.

She offers the other ship a deal. A way out if they send back her people. Crew members start beaming back to the ship, confused about what happened.

Sam quickly explains what she’s done and both ships leave the cloud. The alien vessel leaves. Sam is taken to the infirmary after admitting she needs to relieve herself of duty.

* * *

Back home, Jack sits worriedly by Sam. She starts to come to and he smiles a little. “Hey.”

“Jack?” Sam says to him, still disoriented.

“Excuse me?” He asks. They are at work after all.

“Sorry sir.” She says chagrined.

“Yes, well, a massive concussion will tend to…disorient one.” He muses, not genuinely annoyed about her verbal slip.

“How long was I out there?” She asks him finally.

“It's all relative Carter, that whole time-space continuum thing.” He tries to dissemble but she sees through his tactic.

“Sir.” She says tiredly.

“Four days.” He admits to her.

“Could have sworn it was weeks.” She admits.

Unable to say what he genuinely wants to; Jack goes another route. “Um, Teal'c and Daniel say hi, uh, they're planning a little bit of a shindig for when you're up and around. There's talk of cake.” He smiles hopefully at her.

She smiles back. “A cake?”

“My idea.” He admits with no small amount of pride. Hoping she’d get the sub context of cake in particular.

“Can’t wait.” She tells him.

“Need anything? Magazine, yo-yo?” My undying love? His eyes ask her.

She shakes her head, not noticing the love in his eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Yes you are.” He agrees. Finest woman he’s ever known, frankly.

“Thank you, sir.”

“For what?” He asks, confused.

“Nothing.” She says slowly… changing her mind about what she wanted to say.

“Think nothing of it. I've got plenty of that.” He teases her and they smile at each other. Each coming to separate realizations as Jack turns to leave before he says something stupid like if I retire will you marry me please.

Charlie can be heard singing again and Sam smiles as she drifts off, not realizing why he’d appeared to her but glad he had. She was home and safe thanks to him.


	32. For Pete’s sake

It started innocently enough. Having realized her dad and Charlie were right, that she deserve the full package, when her brother said he had a friend who was single and looking Sam had agreed to a date. She and Jack had always agreed if one of them met someone before this war with the Goa’uld was over that they wouldn’t hold each other to what was essentially an unending static inability to be anything more than they were already.

She had no way of knowing that he’d been quiet at the party not because he’d lost interest, but because he’d been terrified to lose her and was afraid of making a fool of himself in front of all their friends and family by clinging to her like he wanted to.

Sam didn’t know anything about the conversation Grace and Cassie had in Jack’s guest room either.

“I had just the weirdest dream while mom was gone. We were on a spaceship and she didn’t recognize me at all.” Grace was telling Cassie.

“A spaceship huh? What were you doing?”

“Blowing bubbles.” Grace told her cousin perplexed. “It was the dumbest thing and I kept singing the old version of Twinkle Twinkle that literally no one but old people and my mom know all the words to.”

“Was Jack there?” Cassie asks.

“Kind of. And Grandpa too. They were trying to tell mom something but…”

“But what?”

“I don’t know but I have a really bad feeling about it.”

“It was just a dream Grace.” Cassie says consolingly.

“Yah.” But Grace doesn’t seem to really believe her.

Sam had gone home with Grace and Marge the night of the party without explanation to any of them and Jack found himself realizing that whatever had happened, it had changed her mind about wanting to be with him. He drank himself to sleep that night and tried to remind himself that he’d never made her any promises. He supposed in retrospect he should have but it was too late now so he’d need to eat his feelings and settle for just being friends again.

The conversation in the elevator cut him like a fillet knife. Shearing away his heart from his soul that she’d never hummed for him like that. Theirs had always been just this steady soft adoration that made every moment around each other better than any moment away from one another. It was that comfortable familiarity one finds rarely because it’s so true and deep that you didn’t have to explain or discuss it. It just…. was.

Or… at least he’d thought it was. Had she only been with him because it was convenient? Something already there? He didn’t think so but it had been years since they talked about it and Jack had thought that was because she understood and was in agreement with him about their feelings.

Hers had changed. Changed enough to go on a date with another man. One that made her hum happily at work.

Jack felt sick with grief. This felt worse than when the mind stamp had worn off.

* * *

When Pete asks Sam to go to the zoo, she doesn’t know why she lies about there not being one. It’s right next to the Will Rogers shrine. Of course there is a zoo. But the tiny voice in her heart that held the Springs Zoo as her special place for Grace and Jack as a family had compelled her to lie.

She doesn’t know why she lies. She likes Pete. He’s everything Jack isn’t. He’s not afraid to joke with her about something stupid. He doesn’t seem to care about what he drinks. He smiles easily, he’s charming, flirtatious. He listens to her when she talks about things that interest her… not that Jack doesn’t but he gets impatient when she gets in-depth. She knows it’s because Pete doesn’t understand a word she’s saying but it’s still nice to be listened to.

And okay, so he doesn’t like her favorite musical or the same kinds of TV or anything so far really. She’s sure they will find things in common besides sex. Not that they have had any yet. She begged off at the end of their date the other night which he’d been gracious about. And he’s sweet and into her so when he offers to take her out again even though she made excuses again about ending the date early she accepts.

* * *

“Hey kiddo, how abut we go to the zoo?” Jack is leaning on his truck when Grace bounds out of her classroom door.

“Where’s mom?”

Jack shrugs a little unhappily.

“She’d got another date with that cop guy again, hasn’t she?”

“Give him a chance Gracie. You might end up liking him.” Jack tries.

Grace gives him a cynical look as they get in the truck.

Neither of them notice the nondescript sedan across the road with a blond man who looks like every other bored dad waiting for their kid.

Sam had told him Grace’s dad wasn’t part of the picture… so who was this clearly fatherly person? Who just happened to look like the girl. Pete decided to have Sam’s medical records pulled to find out who this guy was. He looked like a cop or military. It was hard to tell which really in this town. Heavy odds on military.

* * *

Pete takes Sam dancing. Of course he crashes an anniversary party to do it but Sam is oddly delighted. Jack would have taken her someplace nicer but Jack could afford nicer. Also she and Jack hadn’t been on more than a dozen dates in the last eight years.

She decides to just go for it and invites Pete in for the night. Grace is at either Aunt Marge’s or Jack’s for the night, her money is on Jack. She doesn’t care. Being with Jack has made her braver sexually so when Pete accepts her invitation she presses him against a wall and kisses him aggressively.

The next morning Sam thinks things are going well, the sex had been… satisfying. But when he presses her for information on her job she puts him off again because classified means exactly that.

On his way out Pete calls his buddy in the FBI that was pulling her family records on the kid. Farrity agrees to dig more.

Inside the house Sam is confused by his comment about having a future together. She wanted a future with someone. Someone who loved her and wanted to be with her and made an effort like Pete did. He flattered her, made her feel special, pretty. Wasn’t that what men did when they loved you?

* * *

While Sam and Jack are setting up for their stakeout at Daniel’s, he asks about Pete. Sam decides he might have been able to deal with the situation but she’s almost certain that after the way he left the other morning he was done with her. They had no idea she’d been followed by him and certainly no idea about the FBI search.

Pete had come up empty handed. There was no father of record for the kid. Sam’s info was scrubbed. She may as well be a ghost… and yet… Mark was just an average pencil pusher. He had to know if his sister was an international spy or something. He was going to find out before he did anything else.

Of course ending up shot hadn’t been in his game plan. This woman better be worth it he thinks as she fusses over his bullet wound. Or whatever the hell that had been. It hurt like a bullet wound.

Sam read him in. Oh not all the way in, He figured that came later with the wedding vows but enough. He doesn’t believe a single bit of it frankly but she apparently does so he goes along with it. After they get married, she’d be a stay at home mom anyway. Possibly pawn the oldest off on her unlisted dad. That kid had given him the hairy eyeball and not said a word when he’d picked Sam up for a date the other night. The Nanny had been nice enough.

Majors made decent retirement money. He could improve his lifestyle considerably being with her. Give her a couple better looking kids too. With pretty pale skin like their mom and blue eyes. It hadn’t escaped his notice the guy who shot their assailant had been the same one that picked up her kid. He’d bet a buck this was a ‘I slept with my coworker when drunk’ thing and they weren’t involved.


	33. Grace under fire

Neither Sam nor Jack said anything to her dad about them not being involved any more. Jacob could see there was something wrong but it wasn’t his place to say anything. Sam was a smart girl and Jack loves her. It would sort itself out eventually. He’d slept on the couch enough times to know that personally.

Jacob ends up admonishing Sam that they never talk anymore. If Sam were honest with herself, it’s because she knows how her dad is going to feel about the situation with Pete and Jack and she just doesn’t want to deal with Dad or Selmak’s logical are you stupid or stupid conversation with her.

They have work to do anyway.

But as per usual, everything goes to hell in a handbasket and Sam ends up fighting for her life. The super-soldier relentlessly pursues her. She has no idea there’s a double agent. That ends up being up to her dad to take care of. She focuses entirely on staying alive until help arrives.

When it does, it’s in the form of one angry Jaffa and a man she’s trying not to be in love with anymore. When he offers her his shoulder though… she just doesn’t care. She leans on him, feeling safe and loved… then passes out from exhaustion.

Jack sighs inwardly. How the hell am I supposed to just get over you, Sam? He mentally asks her. She’s a mess. She’s covered in dirt and blood and bits of grass. She’s never looked more beautiful.

* * *

When Sam wakes up it’s her dad not Jack by her side. She feels… disappointed. More so when her dad tells her she won’t see him for a long time while he tries to repair what’s wrong between Earth and the Tok’ra. Her heart breaks. First Jack and now this. Momentarily forgetting it was her own choice to let Jack go.

* * *

“Mom…”

“Grace, this isn’t open to discussion.”

“But what about Uncle Jack?”

“What about him?”

“Mom…”

Sam huffs at her eight year old child. “Grace, this has nothing to do with Uncle Jack.”

“It has everything to do with Uncle Jack. Did you guys have a fight?”

“First, stop prying. Second. No. We did not.”

“That what happened? I thought you guys were happy?”

“Grace… sweetie I know this is hard for you to understand but your uncle and I were never going to be able to be together. We were just… convenient to each other.”

“Gross, mom.”

“Catherine Grace!”

“You brought it up. Anyway I have schoolwork to do and then Cassie and I are going to go get ice cream.”

“Be back to someone’s house by eleven.” Sam told her daughter.

“Oh what do you care.” Grace muttered under her breath. “You’re too busy mooning over Peeettee…” Grace rolled her eyes and made dramatic gagging motions. The house was small though so she didn’t talk to Cassie about it until they were in the car.

“I don’t like him.” Grace said, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Because he’s not dad or because he’s not dad?” Cassie asks Grace as she makes a left turn onto the main road. Jack had been dad to Cassie for years. Oddly, she’d adjusted better to that concept than Janet being her mom. She always kind of wished Aunt Sam had just married dad and they had been a family, all four of them.

“So get this. Don’t tell anyone I know this because mom thought I was asleep when she talked to Auntie Marge but _Pete_ showed up on a mission they did in the area. Apparently there was an escaped criminal and he got himself shot because he wasn’t supposed to be there.”

“Okay, so? Are you mad he survived?”

“No. I’m mad that it was pretty obvious the shot was for mom and he blew her cover and almost got her killed.” Grace huffs.

“And she’s still dating him?”

Grace glared out the front window of the car.

“Must be really good in bed.” Cassie observes.

“First. Gross.” Grace tells Cassie and makes gagging noises again. “Second, I forgot what number two is because that’s _so_ gross.”

Cassie laughs. “Have you talked to dad about it?”

“No.” Grace says mutinously. “You know how he is.”

“He didn’t come to my sixteenth birthday party.” Cassie said sadly.

“I know, Cass. I’m sorry. It’s another reason I’m mad at mom. She’s making dad pick sides.”

“Does he know you know?”

“What do you think?”

“I think he sees exactly what he wants to see. His very sweet eight year old daughter who he’s protecting from his youthful bad decisions before he got divorced.”

“He introduced me to her.”

“What?!”

“Yah, she dropped by, wanted some advice on a guy she was seeing, wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing dating the guy.”

“How did _that_ go?” Cassie asked her, now intensely curious.

“He introduced me as his friend’s daughter but I could tell she totally knew I was his kid. Honestly, it’s a good thing I’d already figured it out or I’d have freaked out on him.”

Cassie shook her head. “Why do they need to make everything complicated?”

“Because mom thinks love is stupid flowers and being told your pretty even if the guy is otherwise a creep and dad loves her too much to ever ask more of her than she’s willing to give.”

“You’re pretty smart for an eight year old.” Cassie teased.

“My parents are pretty dumb for a pair of genius level adults.” Grace grumbled.

“All right well let’s go make ourselves sick on way too much ice cream then go bug dad.”

“I’d rather go to your mom’s” Grace said.

“She’s on your mom’s side.”

Grace said something very inappropriate for her age.

Cassie cracked up. “Dad’s it is.”


	34. The wind before the storm

“Hey girls?” Jack said opening the door, beer in hand. “What brings you by?”

“Existential angst.” Grace tells him and gives him a kiss on his cheek.

“Ah… what?”

Both girls swept past Jack and went into his sunken living room.

“Can I get either of you anything?” Jack asked them. Still confused.

Grace flopped dramatically in her father’s lounge chair and stared flipping TV stations.

“I... uh… guess I wasn’t watching that.” Jack says of his hockey game.

“They were losing anyway.” Grace says absently until she finds there’s nothing on she wants to watch and puts the hockey game back on.

“So…” Jack says.

“Can I move in with you for a while?” Grace finally says piteously. Cassie looks at Jack and shrugs.

“What brought this on kiddo?” Jack asks her gently, crouching by the chair.

“Dad I _really_ don’t like this guy.” Grace says miserably and throws herself into his arms. Crying.

Jack looks up at Cassie. ‘Dad?’ he mouths. Cassie shrugs.

Jack sat on the floor and cuddled Grace in his arms. “Hey, I know this is a big adjustment for you sweetheart, but it will be all right. Your mom wouldn’t date anyone that would hurt you I promise.”

Cassie sat on the edge of the couch. “I don’t think it’s just that dad. She said there was something off about him. I don’t think it’s about Grace. I think there’s something wrong with the guy too.”

“Look, guys, what is it you two are expecting here? That everything will just go back to the way things were? It doesn’t work like that. I… Hell… I thought eventually Sam and I would be together too but girls, I love you both no matter what. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Jack told them.

“I don’t want to go home to that guy being there, dad. He stalked mom. I think he might have been at the school too.”

“Grace…”

“Dad, I’m serious! You know how I notice stuff other people don’t.”

“Dad?”

Grace gives Jack a flat look very much like her father’s.

Jack frowns.

Grace crosses her arms over her chest in a very Jacob Carter sort of way. “I know you’re my dad. I’ve known for a while now.”

“Did someone…”

“No. I figured it out on my own.”

“She’s really good at mystery novels too dad.” Cassie pointed out.

Jack scrubbed his hand into his hair. “You guys can stay the night but Grace sweetie, you have to go home in the morning. I’ll call your mom and let her know you’re here so she doesn’t worry.”

“Call Auntie Marge. Mom is on a date. She doesn’t care where I am tonight.”

“All right. It might be best if you don’t say anything to your mom about knowing I’m your dad right now.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’re right about this guy, I don’t want him knowing anything else important. I won’t make you guys any promises but… I’ll keep my eyes open. If looks like he’s hurting her or manipulating her, I’ll step in. All right?”

“Can’t you just tell her you love her and beg her to come back to you?”

“I wish it worked that way kiddo.” Jack said sadly and ruffled her hair. “Also, how on earth did you figure out I’m your dad?”

Grace giggled. “I look just like Charlie, dad. We even have the same eyes. And I have your grandma’s hair.”

Jack blinked. “That’s all you needed to figure it out?”

Grace gave her father an exasperated look. Cassie laughed. “Dad, she does look _exactly_ like you. It’s kind of obvious.”

Jack shook his head. “Does your mom know?” He demanded of Cassie.

“Nope.”

“Anyone?”

“Not a soul. Scout’s honor.”

* * *

The next morning he makes them waffles and bacon. He’s better about keeping fruit in the house for Grace specifically so they have strawberries and whipped cream on their waffles.

Jack watches the girls giggle together and sadly wishes Sam were here and this was just a happy Saturday morning with his family.

“So listen you two, Rundell and I have to go out of town for a few days. Some documentary crap the AF wants us to play along with. We have to set up the details with the producers before we can let them into the SGC.”

Grace frowns.

“I know.” Jack says holding up his hand. “I still think the guy is probably harmless. I didn’t get a vibe off him that he’s violent.”

Grace and Cassie exchange a look. There were more ways to hurt a woman than hitting her. Even eight year old Grace knew that.

“Stop it both of you.” He admonishes them. “Sam is fine. Let’s all try to be happy for your mom.” He says pointedly to his daughter.

Grace just rolls her eyes.

“Right. I forgot who I was talking to.” And the thing was, Grace had inherited his bullshit detector. And she was there and he wasn’t. So possibly she was picking up on something Jack was missing because he just wanted this to run its course so things would go back to normal. She clearly still had feelings for him by their conversation about her dating Pete so he just didn’t get it. If she still loved him why was she even dating this guy?

Was it to force his hand finally? But if so why? Things were fine before. Sure waiting stunk but they were happy. Weren’t they? He’d been happy. Hadn’t Sam?

If he knew about her hallucinations he’d have been able to explain to her that being in love wasn’t being delirious with emotion all the time. It was that soft contented feeling of knowing you are loved and loving that person back. She had love already. All she had to do was talk to him about it. When he said he wasn’t going anywhere he’d meant that. How could he when she was his heart?

But Sam had never told him what happened to her personally on that ship, only that she’d been awake for days because she was afraid if she slept she’d die due to her head injury. He figured it had made her loopy enough to draw some really unhappy conclusions about their situation. When she got home, Jack had been ready to say screw it and retire for her. Now he supposed it didn’t matter if she didn’t want to be with him long term anyway.

The girls left shortly after breakfast and Jack closed the door with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sam was serious about this guy. Serious enough not to notice their daughter’s feelings. But if something made her realize she didn’t want to be with him… there wasn’t anything he could do other than be there for his daughter and hope eventually she adjusted to the situation.

* * *

“I’m starting to see why you were so crabby for a couple years.” Grace said in the car.

“I was not crabby.”

Grace gives Cassie a long look.

“Stop that. It’s creepy.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop acting exactly like dad when he knows stuff.”

“But I do know stuff.”

“You’re eight. It’s creepy.”

“You’re seventeen, you should know by now that doesn’t mean diddly squat. The Kaufman assessment test says I’m emotionally older than you are.”

“Great, my little cousin is a grown up stuck in a kid’s body.” Cassie stuck her tongue out.

“You think it’s weird for you. Try being me.”


	35. Here in our darkest hour

“I don’t need a babysitter.” Cassie said to Marge as she made her sit down to eat.

“No but she does.” Marge said of Grace who was doodling at the table. “Put the artwork away missy.” She admonished her great niece.

“So? I still don’t see why we are all here anyway.”

“Because your mom went with your godparents this time and she’ll be gone a couple days. Therefore it’s just easier if Grace and I stay here at your mom’s. Unless you want to come stay at my duplex with the cat.” Sam had given her Shroe when Grace was little because Sam wasn’t home enough and he’d been back and forth a few times and even in to visit Sam’s friends at work once but he was effectively Marge’s cat.

“I think the dog would object.” Cassie said with an eye roll.

“Well there you go. Besides, it’s only a two bedroom and I’m not sleeping on the couch young lady.” Marge grinned though.

“Well. I have a date so I’ll see you guys later.”

“You will eat first, young lady.” Marge said firmly.

“Ugh… fine. You’re as bad as my mom, Aunt Marge.”

“So I’m told dear.” Marge agreed and started putting dinner on the table. Pasta with meat sauce, a batch of steamed broccoli and a small roast.

“I thought they were supposed to have that film crew this week?” Grace asked.

“Probably caught wind of a mission and ditched them. You know how dad is.” Cassie replies.

“I’m just glad mom didn’t decide this was a good time to have stinky Pete to watch me.” Grace grumbled.

“Stinky Pete feet.” Cassie said snorting in amusement.”

“It’s not neat to smell Pete feet.” Grace said laughing.

“All right you two. That’s enough.” Marge admonished them both but by this point both girls were giggling helplessly.

“Honestly, what is with you two? Pete seems perfectly nice and don’t you want your mom to be happy Grace?”

“Mom was already happy Auntie Marge. She doesn’t need stinky Pete.”

Cassie snorted at the name again.

“Grace… I understand your feelings, I really do but it’s your mother’s decision not yours.”

“Well it should be. I have to put up with him too and everything was fine before.”

Marge sighed heavily. Grace was eight but sometimes she spoke and thought like an adult. An adult watching her parent’s relationship falling apart. “Grace… look doll, we all wanted things to turn out differently but this assignment has been going on for so long and there’s no end in sight. They are both necessary and vital members of the team. What are they supposed to do? Shack up and hope no one notices?”

“She could get a temporary re-assignment, they could get married and then they could apply for a join-spouse. I looked it up.” Grace says matter-of-factly. “All mom had to do was ask dad if he wanted to be with her. I already know his answer. I don’t know why she doesn’t.” Grace huffed and dug into her meat savagely.

“Dad?” Marge said softly.

Grace looked up and her eyes grew large when she realized what she’d said. “Um…”

“Gracie…”

“Look… I’ve known for a while Auntie Marge. No one told me. I figured it out on my own.” She said defensively.

“Does your mom know you know?”

Grace shook her head.

“Good. Keep it that way.”

Grace and Cassie looked at each other than at Marge. “That’s what dad said to do too.” Cassie told Marge.

Marge looked at Cassie thoughtfully. “Tell me why you don’t like him, Grace. The exact reason.” Marge knew Grace would have a very specific list not just vague dislike.

“He’s fake. And not in a trying to get people to like him way either. He doesn’t like you but he pretends to because you’re Sam’s aunt. I saw him watching dad and I at school when he picked me up one day. He had no reason to be there. He doesn’t have kids and if he did they would be in Denver. He treats mom like a thing not a person. He buys her stuff to press buttons.”

“Like a guy who’s nice to get laid.” Cassie supplied.

“Cassandra.” Marge admonished her.

“But that’s what he’s doing. He’s not nice because he’s a nice person, he’s nice to get things. In this case, Aunt Sam. What happens when he has her?”

“What if he talks her into quitting her job and doesn’t let her spend time with Uncle Danny or Dad or Uncle T?” Grace points out. “If no one is supposed to know Uncle Jack is my dad, how does he justify getting to see me if Pete tells mom she can’t spend time with her coworkers because they are guys?”

“Your mom wouldn’t do that sweetie.”

“Sure she would if she moved up to Denver. Then what? “

“Grace, what if you’re wrong and he’s a nice guy who just loves your mom?”

“Doesn’t what I want matter at all Auntie Marge? I don’t want mom and dad to break up.” Grace cried.

Marge got up and sat in the chair next to Grace’s and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry, baby. I know this is hard. I wish there was something, anything I could do but this is your mom’s decision, doll, and we just have to trust her and live with it.”

“Well it sucks.” Grace said, sniffling.

“It will get better.” She told her. “It might seem like it’s not going to but it will.”

* * *

P3X-666 was burned into his memory. What an ironic number really. If he’d known about her interview answers he’d have handled things differently but as far as Jack knew… Sam’s feelings for him had changed. He had no idea that it was just that she’d given up on the war ever ending.

Janet had just wanted to stabilize Simon. The kid was going to bleed out otherwise. She was doing her job. She shouldn’t have even been there but SG-13 had fallen under fire and Dixon wanted to get his people out. All of them. The last thing he’d remembered from the op was Sam screaming his name when he went down.

She’d come to him, eventually… held each other… shit.

* * *

“I see. Yes… yes I’ll tell them. Are you all right, doll? No, I know you aren’t. I’m so sorry… I know. I’ll see you soon.” Marge hangs up her cell phone with a heavy heart.

Marge went over to the couch where the girls were eating popcorn and watching some cheesy rom-com. Cassie’s date had been a bust and she’d come home early.

“Cass….” Marge swiped away a tear. She understood why Sam couldn’t be the one to do this. She really did. “Cassandra…” Marge said softly.

“’Sup. Marge?” Cassie says absently.

Marge comes around the couch and sits down with an unhappy frown. “That was Sam. There was an accident…”

“Are mom and dad okay?” Grace asked.

Marge nods as she sniffles. “Jack… he got hit but he had on body armor. He’s going to be okay. I think your mom might have gotten some aggressions out avenging him though… Cass….”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, Cass… she was stabilizing someone on another team… Cass… I’m so sorry.”

“No! Marge, no! My mom was a doctor not a soldier like dad and Aunt Sam. She can’t be… she… she can’t.” Cassie’s face crumpled as she flung herself into Marge’s arms and sobbed.

Grace’s eyes welled up. “It’s not fair!” She cried and Marge put her other arm around her and held both girls close.


	36. What dreams may come

While Jack recovered, Sam helped Cassie make some decisions. She was a senior and only had a few more months of school anyway.

“Sell it.” Cassie said firmly.

“Are you sure? Your mom had enough savings to put it in trust for you if…” Sam started to say but Cassie shook her head emphatically.

“Aunt Sam, this is all her stuff not mine.”

Sam nodded sadly. “All right. I’ll call the liquidation company to get this stuff to an estate sale. What do you want to do with photos and her personal things?”

Cassie sat down on the arm of the couch. She shrugged. “I guess send her family ones back to her cousins. They weren’t anyone to me. I was always closer with you guys anyway. I’ll keep the rest. How’s dad?”

Sam sighed. “Still in ICU… The… the doctors are keeping him under a couple more days. The armor saved him but it was a hard blast.” Sam’s face twisted into a grim frown. She’d almost said Janet out of habit but… Janet was gone. Cassie was looking at her, clearly reading what Sam was fighting not to say.

Cassie loved her mom, missed her… but mom had adopted her because Sam couldn’t. Cassie knew that. Now… oddly enough, she was Sam’s responsibility now anyway.

“You can share my room.” Grace finally piped up. She’d been looking at old photos while mom talked to Cassie.

“Great. Share a room with a pipsqueak.” Cassie taunted her.

Sam started to say something when Cassie winked at her the same way Janet would have when caught teasing Daniel.

“So that’s settled I guess?” Sam asked the girls.

“Sure. It will be great.” Cassie looked at Grace who nodded agreement. Cassie knew Grace had offered for moral support about Pete.

“All right. Listen Marge will be here in a couple hours. Why don’t you look through your mom’s stuff, see if there’s anything you do want and put it in your room for now. I’ll have the guys bring over some boxes for you. We’ll put your stuff in the Colonel’s garage until you go to school.”

Cassie and Grace exchanged a look. Sam _never_ called Jack ‘the Colonel’ to them. He was always Uncle Jack.

“I’ll help her, mom.” Grace said.

“All right, I need to get back to the base and handle some things.” Sam said distractedly. The girls waved her off and waited for her to leave.

“The Colonel? What the hell is that shit?” Grace snarled.

“Seriously. How much more obvious that she’s eating her feelings can she be?” Cassie agreed, ignoring Grace’s language. It seemed currently justified.

“And she goes running back to be with him anyway so what is the point of this jerk she’s dating anyway? Cass, if I ever act this stupid as an adult, remind me of this conversation, would you?” Grace said to Cassie and started flipping through Janet’s music collection. “Some of this stuff is pretty good. There’s a lot of country though.”

Cassie shrugged. “Take what you want. I’m keeping the movies and stuff.”

Grace started giggling.

“What?”

“Your mom has the soundtrack for Wormhole X-treme! in here.”

“Seriously?” Cassie laughed. “Dad gave her that as a gag gift one Christmas when you were really little. I guess he knows the producer.”

“Wasn’t his name Marty something? Dad has a photo of himself reading a script on set.”

“Hey, I know that photo! It’s one of Aunt Sam’s favorites… or was.” Cassie sighed softy. “There’s a lot of photos of your parents together in mom’s stuff.”

Grace’s face fell as her expression looked sick.

“Aw crap.” Cassie said and enveloped the younger girl in a Jack worthy hug. “I’m sorry.”

Grace shook her head. “That’s why I told mom we could share a room. I don’t want to be there by myself. Mom doesn’t see him for what he is and she thinks I’m just being an angsty pre-teen.”

“Well you won’t ever top my early teen years for angst so let’s make the best of it.”

“I’m sorry about your mom, Cass.”

“Yah, me too, pipsqueak. Me too.” Cassie sighed. “Come on, this crap isn’t going to sort itself. Let’s get the DVDs and CDs into my room and then start going through the photos. Mom had some empty albums so I’m going to make a few up for you of your folks together so even if your mom is a moron when it comes to guys, you have proof that she and dad really did love each other.”

Grace nodded slowly. “Okay.”

* * *

Sam had waited several hours after they took him off the vent. She knew how it would look if she loitered in his room like she used to so when she walked in, he was up and getting dressed, moving slow and clearly still in pain. “Sir? I heard you were up and around.” She told him.

Jack grunted in pain as he moved. “Yeah. Still a little tender, but they said I could go home.”

“We're lucky that staff blast hit you where it did. The new vest insert works well.” She answered, relieved that the previously fatal staff blast had only laid him up for a week, painful though it was. He’d had some internal bleeding from the compression to his gut but otherwise pulled through.

“Didn't help Fraiser much.” Jack huffed painfully. He hadn’t found out until they had woken him up earlier in the day and gotten a status report.

“No.” Sam said miserably.

Jack cut his eyes to her. She’d lost her best friend and unlike Daniel, Janet wouldn’t be back. “How’s Cassie?” He asked her gently.

Sam swallowed hard. “She's a strong kid. She survives, you know.” Because other than seeming to be angry about it and the crying she’d done on Auntie Marge, Cassie seemed to be taking this well all things considered.

Jack sighed sadly. “Yup.” That kid couldn’t catch a break. He pulled on his BDU shirt with a wince. “You speaking at the memorial?” He asks her gently.

Sam nods with tears in her eyes, overcome by her conflicted emotions. She’d stayed away to protect herself but... “Sir, I just wanted to say…when you were lying there, I…I'm really glad you're okay.” She finally chokes out. Unable to hold it in anymore, she starts to cry.

“C’mere” He said to her gruffly and draws her into a hug. He holds her in a gentle embrace while she clings to him and sobs out her grief at the loss of Janet, at giving him up. All of it. And Jack just holds her, his face in her shoulder wishing he could give her more and knowing he can’t. Not with her dating someone else.

* * *

The girls stand with Daniel in the control room while Sam gives Janet’s eulogy on the Stargate ramp. Grace was strictly ordered by both Jack and Sam not to ask questions about anything she saw, scientific or not. She’d huffed a sigh but obeyed after a sharp look from her dad to keep her curiosity to herself and her yap shut.

Both girls had tears running down their cheeks as Sam read off all the officers and SGC staff who Janet had saved, starting with Sam’s team.

Jack and part of the camera crew disappear during the wake being held in the cafeteria. No one from SG-1 eats while they wait for Jack to come back. When he does, he and Sam exchange a look, Jack makes a motion with his shoulder and SG-1 and the girls file out silently without saying goodbye to anyone.

Everyone noticed their departure but respects their need to grieve in their own way. Hammond gives them a nod as they leave the room.

They sit silently at Jack’s house. Jack and Sam still in their class As though both have taken their jackets off and Jack has loosened his tie. Sam was sitting on the couch with Daniel who also had his tie loose and had his arm around her shoulders. No one called Pete or Marge. This was their time together to grieve.

Teal’c reappeared. “I have ordered food. Chinese.” He announced.

“Chinese, Teal’c?” Jack asks him.

“Did not Janet Fraiser favor Mu Shu Pork?”

Jack smiles a little. “Ah.”

That’s when the stories start… first with Cassie. “Remember when you guys took us to Disneyland?”

“And you barfed everywhere?” Grace reminded her.

“Shut up!” Cassie squeals.

By the time the food arrived, their stories have ranged from bittersweet to everyone laughing happily.

At the end of the night the girls were in Sam’s car as Sam said goodnight to Jack.

“Thank you sir.” She said softly.

Jack sighs. “Sam… I’m still your friend. You don’t have to call me sir at home.”

Sam nods miserably. “Jack… I…”

But Jack just shakes his head. “It’s all right, Sam. Take the girls home. Call me if you need anything.” He put his hand on her cheek and draws her forward. She looks up at him hopefully but also uncertainly. But Jack only kisses her forehead. “Night Carter.” He says softly.

“Goodnight… Jack.” She replies and he nods.

After she leaves though, Jack’s shoulders sag and shake with the sobs he’s been repressing all day. Another friend gone. A love lost. A child who’s lost another family and the one she’d had as a backup… broken. Getting a hold of himself, he heads for the living room and pulls out the bottle of scotch Janet bought him years ago. He carries it and a glass up to his observation deck. The first glass he pours out over the rail in her honor. The second he throws back in a single swallow. It was followed by several more until he’s staring blearily up at the stars above him. Tears slide unnoticed down his cheeks.


	37. Sacrifices were made

Sam was almost relieved Pete was back in Denver for now. While she had to deal with calls and texts from him she didn’t have to deal with him putting demands on her while she got Cassie settled for now. There were only a few more months of school, then summer break and off to CSN to study bio-chemistry. They would need to find her an apartment near the Charleston campus. Sam would be able to visit when she had projects at Groom Lake to check on.

Daniel and Teal’c helped Sam move Cassie’s things to the house and took the boxes she was keeping but wouldn’t fit to Jack’s place. He was still moving slowly after his injury and wasn’t cleared to lift anything over five pounds. No one discussed that it also gave him an excellent reason to avoid Sam.

The girls bickered some but it seemed to be good natured. Sam bought them a bunk bed and had the guys store Grace’s bed at Jack’s. Sam had the guilty thought that this would be easier to do at Jack’s because he had more room than Sam did. It was a good thing it would be summer soon. A nearly grown young woman and a preteen cooped up in her little bungalow was going to get really stressful really quickly.

* * *

A few weeks later when he’s cleared for missions again, P3X-439 had put Jack in the same situation as before. A head full of Alteran download… and now possibly no way to save his life because of Kinsey’s crap. Sam debated with herself all night until she found herself walking to her car, keys in hand the next morning. This might be the last time they had a real conversation and Sam needed to be honest with him about how she feels. Even if she loses him.

In his defense, Jack figured what the hell difference did it make. Sam had moved on. Even Janet’s death hadn’t changed that. At least his death would be useful and the money from his estate would be split evenly between the girls. His daughters. One by choice, one by accident of events but both deeply loved. He’d miss them. He knew they would miss him… but they might be better off without him. He was a screw up. He’d lost Sam’s love. Or done something that made her decide his love was worthless…

The doorbell rang.

Sam tells him she couldn’t sleep the night before. She stumbles through a garbled admission that she’s concerned for him while he heads to the kitchen to grab a couple beers.

Jack brushes her off when she asks about Sara. He hasn’t talked to Sara since she came over and he introduced her to Grace. Sara had looked at the girl and known. Not that it was difficult. Grace looked just like Charlie. Thankfully, she’d not asked the girl’s age though he figured she suspected. It probably made her glad that she’d moved on when she did. He could add cheating bastard to failed parent and unlovable.

Oh what the hell… Sam tells him she should leave. He asks her to stay. Surprisingly, she sits down next to him. They talk about their last trip through the gate, both avoiding the real issue. Jack too afraid to tell her how much he’ll miss her. Sam too afraid to tell him she loves him and she’s sorry she’s hurt him so much the last few months.

The guys show up and both deny they are interrupting. After all, neither had said what they needed to and clearly had both chickened out for now. Later when the doorbell rings instead of the pizza they ordered, its Hammond to tell them he’s been relieved of duty again.

Somehow Jack just isn’t surprised. He’s not surprised when Sam quietly slips out at some point without anyone noticing either. Well, Teal’c noticed and Jack noticed she never came back from her bathroom break. It was just as well he decided morosely. When he died, she’d be alone again with the knowledge that she’d mistaken his feelings for just flirting or whatever she was telling herself these days to justify her current choices.

After everyone left, Jack sat down and started writing. The girls were easy. Sam… he wrote several pages, pouring his heart out. Then he shredded it and started over.

_Sam, whatever it was I did, I’m sorry._

_Yours always._

_Jack_

He looked at it a long time before he shoved it into an envelope with her name on it. He left all three envelopes on his nightstand. He really didn’t want Danny reading this.

Things get weirder as Jack’s day progresses Monday. Daniel tried to get the location out of him and Sam and Danny followed him around even when he went to the commissary because if he was going to lose his mind he may as well enjoy some cake.

Oddly, Danny’s pestering pays off. He tries to say goodbye to Teal’c who stops him. So he ends up piling a bunch of crap together just like last time. Daniel seems happy about it. Jack is not. Sam definitely is not. Fat lot of good it does him now.

He finds he likes Liz though. He likes her a lot. Under other conditions he’d make a point of being her friend. She even tells bad jokes.

They get him a ship but by then his head is starting to ache relentlessly. He downplays it to Sam, not wanting her to worry. He says it in Alteran. Sam worries anyway so Jack decides to do something useful. An hour later while he’s fidgeting with the power crystals to get more speed out of the ship she tells him that George gave her clearance to take over the mission when he couldn’t do it anymore.

“Do it now.” He tells her.

“Sir, I don't think that's necessary yet.” She tells him but Jack just shakes his head.

“I trust you…I'll make it easy for you…I resign. You're in charge.” He was in no condition to be running the show and he knew it. Better she takes over now.

Sam nods slowly, sadly. “Okay.”

Jack goes back to working on getting some more juice out of the ship when Sam starts talking to him in a rush.

“Sir, at your house before Daniel and Teal'c showed up, what I was gonna say was…”

But Jack cut her off. This wasn’t the place and he certainly didn’t want her to say it starting out the sentence with ‘sir’. “I know.” He tells her. And he does. It didn’t change anything though. It was too late. They stand looking at each other over the open crystal panel for long time, both admitting their love silently.

Jack finally closes the panel. A symbolic gesture. She’s free. He won’t hold her to this.

When they get to the planet, Jack leads them to the power chair inside the crumbling Alteran facility. He gets the force field back up and running so at least the rest of them will be safe from the radiation permeating the planet.

He tries to tell them that there’s another chair, one that can protect earth but neither Danny nor Sam genuinely understands. He’d have to show them. He takes the power crystals. They will need them. He hands them to Sam who then hands them to Teal’c. She’s looking at him like she’s worried he might collapse at any moment but he knows how much time he has now.

Ronan turns out to be a double agent. Jack can’t concern himself with that. Bra’tac is injured in their fight. Ronan is dead and Jack focuses on healing Bra’tac. He refuses to lose another friend so soon and puts all his will into saving the wise old Jaffa. It saps most of his energy thought and he crumples to the ground. Danny catches him. Good old Danny, he thinks absently.

“Jack!” Danny says and Jack tries to follow the conversation but his head hurts and he’s as confused as everyone else about how he just did that.

He’d not wanted his friend to die… so he hadn’t. How did he do that? Jack wondered. He looks at Bra’tac just as astonished as everyone else.

Later Jack heads for the cargo bay and starts building something. Teal’c comes to ask if he’s building a weapon but it’s not a weapon and Jack doesn’t trust himself not to say it in Alteran. So he just shakes his head.

When Teal’c tries to tell him his feelings Jack just smiles and pats the other man gently. He knows. He knows they love him but he has work to do before he is no more. Teal’c nods in understanding and leaves him to his work.

Sam starts helping Jack with his project when he motions her over as he now needs a second pair of hands that knows engineering. Sam relays to Daniel what Jack is making and he goes to tell Bra’tac and Teal’c. They are going to have to Han Solo the crap out of this one. Jack wishes he could make jokes but they would all come out in Alteran now so there’s just no point.

Jack takes over the controls from Teal’c when they get close and they start frying the ice to get to his target.

“Sir, how long is this gonna take?” She asks him but Jack ignores her for now. It will take however long it has to. He gets up and gives the seat back to Bra’tac.

Anubis’ ship bears down on them but a squadron of F-302’s and the Prometheus intercept, buying SG-1 much needed time.

As soon as a hole punches all the way through the ice Jack starts tearing off his modifications. They will need the rings.

His team returns to the cargo bay while he works and peppers him with questions like he can answer them. They figure it out on their own though because his team is smart. When they stand in the ring together, their backs to each other, he takes Sam’s hand and squeezes it. She squeezes back. No one but them knows it happened. “Ready.” She tells Bra’tac and he beams them down.

“Good luck.” Bra’tac says as they ring down.

Before he reaches his destination Jack finds a stasis pod. “Dormita.” He tells them. It means sleep. He hopes they understand. It may be his only chance. He wants to live. He wants to see his daughters again. He walks through the hologram of Anubis. He’d laugh if he had the capacity. No, you have not won yet Anubis. Not so long as I draw breath. He finds what he’s searching for. The command chair. One day his daughter will control this chair but for now it is his responsibility. The chair bathes him in light as he activates it.

Jack uses the surface to atmospheric plasma missiles to take out the mothership and several gliders, being careful not to fire on friendlies. When the last ship is gone… Jack finally passes out from exhaustion.

Sam goes over to him, alarmed. “Sir? Sir?” She lifts his head gently and pressed her fingers against his neck. “His pulse is erratic.” She tells Daniel and Teal’c. “Don’t you dare leave us now. We won.” She orders him. Don’t you dare leave me you big stupid wonderful jerk. I can’t live without you either, she admonishes him mentally.

Jack opens his eyes and moves his head slightly.

“Colonel!” Sam says to him, her voice is so full of worry. He wants to tell her it’s okay but he’s so tired. He tries to tell her. His lips move… but no sound comes out.

Sam’s eyes are wide with panic. Oh god please don’t die on me, Jack, please. “Please! … Jack!…” she begs him.

“Dormata.” He finally is able to whisper to her.

“That thing?” Daniel asks him, also whispering.

Teal’c picks him up and carries him to the dormata and places him gently inside. The stasis pod lights up when Teal’c back away.

“Now what?” Sam asks him, fear and hope in equal measure in her voice.

Jack looks sadly at Sam. “Aveo…amacuse.” He finally manages to get out.

Sam and Teal’c look at Daniel who nods in understanding. “Goodbye.” He replies to Jack.

The light grows brighter and the last thing Jack knows is Sam’s anguished face after he says goodbye to her in Lantian. His people... they called themselves Lantians. He… had to remember… to tell her... some day.

“We can't just leave him like this! There has to be a way to reverse the process. The answer has to be here somewhere.” Sam says to Daniel, unable to just give up.

“I don't think this is it, Sam.” Daniel tells her, shaking his head sadly.

“What do you mean?” Sam demands.

Daniel looks up and around “The dome is too small. It's …Taonas. It's obviously not a city; it's just an outpost of some kind.”

“This isn't Atlantis?” She asks, now angry and hurt.

Daniel shakes his head again. “I don’t think so.” He admits.

Teal’c looks at Daniel and Sam then at O’Neill. “If this is not the Lost City, then where is it?”

Sam however has gone over to Jack and places her hand over his heart. With tears in her eyes she makes him a silent promise. If it’s the last thing I ever do Jack I promise you I will save you… somehow. I won’t stop looking for a solution. Ever.


	38. Rescuing the rescuer

Sam bit her lip. She hadn’t stopped crying since she got back from Antarctica. The girls looked up expectantly when she walked in the door as she kicked off her shoes and grabbed a glass of the crappy cheap wine from a box that Pete had put in her fridge. She didn’t care that it was garbage. The temptation to go to Jack’s house and sob on his bed overwhelmed her so she very pointedly didn’t. Had she known what he’d left her on his nightstand she might have been at least consoled with his heartfelt admission that he was always hers.

Instead she plopped on the couch and slugged back half the glass of the overly sweet rotgut Pete liked. Pete. She snorted. What the hell was she doing with Pete? But now Pete was all there was. How stupidly ironically unfortunate.

“Mom?” Grace asked her. She’d seen her mom like this before. When Uncle Danny had been missing, and when Aunt Janet died. Something was wrong.

Cassie and Grace exchanged a look.

“I ah… I have some bad news.” Sam told them. Her hands shook. She gripped the glass tighter. “There was an accident on the base. Your uncle… he was exposed to something and… they had to put him in an induced coma to keep him alive.” She told them, giving the ‘official’ story.

“Can we see him?” Grace asked.

Sam shook her head. “They have him in an iso unit in a secure branch of the facility. No one can see him right now. Not even me.”

“Is he?...” Cassie asked.

“He’s alive… barely… and the only way to keep him that way is to keep him under until we... well, they, can figure out how to treat what’s wrong with him.”

It was strange really. She’d been unable to say his name without bursting into tears again and yet both girls had understood she meant Jack. As if of the guys, he was the important one. That they recognized him as their father even though Grace didn’t know and Cassie had anointed him as such. Sam swallowed a lump in her throat. Then she downed the rest of her glass.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes again. “They are doing everything they can to save him.” She said… but Sam didn’t really think they would figure it out without a miracle. She had not had fun storming the castle.

* * *

Weeks later, Sam begs Liz to let her save Jack. She goes as far as refusing to work if she’s not allowed to look for a way to save him. Liz finally relents. She knows the look in Sam’s eyes. Whatever they might claim otherwise, Sam has a personal stake in the situation.

She and Teal’c leave to contact the Asgard. They helped Jack before, Sam rationalizes. They can save him a second time. They had to. The Asgard owed Jack. They owed him a lot. She’d strong armed Liz into it not knowing the other woman had relented mostly because she knew love when she saw it. Sam would be useless to her if she wasn’t at least given the chance to save her lover.

All does not go well. Hala has become a death trap and Thor has to beam them out of their disintegrating ship. Unfortunately… the replicators have a bone to pick with Sam. Fifth resents her betrayal and beams her away from Thor’s ship and then leaps into hyperspace. Fifth tries to trick her but her subconscious leaves clues that this isn’t reality. Pete would never agree to buying a farm. She couldn’t imagine him ever even dignifying the idea. Only one man in her life would ever be interested in such a simple lifestyle and it wouldn’t be a farm.

* * *

The first thing Jack notices is that he’s not really in his own head. Thor has transferred his awareness to his computers. Well this is kind of cool he decides as he tries to get everyone’s attention to let them know he’s up and around. He asks everyone what’s going on and gets a bit suspicious when Daniel winces. But Thor tells him he has access to all the ship’s information so Jack does what comes naturally. He starts playing with the environment, in this case, the light switches.

Thor calls him to task and weirdly... Jack can tell Thor is laughing at him. Jack apologizes for wasting time being silly.

Thor tells him he’s able to create a hologram of himself so Jack tries it out. “Dang!” He says shaking his holographic hands.

“You okay?” Daniel asks him, concerned.

“It’s a little weird.” Jack agreed, “But yah, I’m okay.”

“At least you aren’t speaking Ancient.” Daniel tells him, relief in his voice.

“There’s that.” Jack says, mulling the ramifications.

“Actually, the computer is translating.” Thor tells them both.

“Ah.” Daniel replies, understanding that this is simply a stopgap for Jack not a solution.

Jack checks himself out and makes more jokes until Thor points out his time is limited. Jack waves them off so he can get to work. Engineering crap is a lot easier with a bunch of Lantian mil-specs in his head to help out he decides as he plugs away at a device Thor can’t even make heads or tails of but Thor ends up having to revive his physical body even though Jack technically wasn’t quite done.

Daniel asks him if he remembers anything and he lies. What he does remember is fuzzy and almost all of it is about Sam. Where is Sam anyway? He tells Daniel he’s got a hell of a headache, which is true. He tells Daniel the last thing he remembers is getting head sucked and something about twins just to see how they would react. No one takes the bait so he asks Teal’c about the hair situation. He and Daniel bicker about his creation. Without the Ancient download in his head, he can’t make heads or tails of what he’s engineered.

Penegal contacts Thor to ask for help but Thor is still trying to decipher what Jack had made and Jack is no longer any help. The download is gone from his head and without it he doesn’t possess the intellectual capacity to decipher it. Hell without Sam he doesn’t have it.

And the planet Sam might be on has no life signs. Jack swallows his feelings. They had to find her. She had to still be alive.

Thor gets the bright idea to beam a dead replicator person onto his ship which isn’t exactly Jack’s idea of smart seeing as Thor admits the stasis pod Jack was in isn’t strong enough to contain the replicator if it comes back to life but he’s not the one running the show here.

It turns out to be useful though. They find Sam. Jack swallows his heart back down while they get rid of the replicator that’s waking up. It’s already overwhelmed the ship’s computer though and Thor is unable to beam the thing out.

On instinct Jack goes for the device he engineered and shoots the replicator with it. The machine disintegrates.

Thor knows Jack’s next priority is Carter and tells him that while he can’t get him into the replicator facility but he can get Jack close.

Fifth is waiting for them and attacks. When Jack gleefully obliterates the damned metal bugs, Fifth warns Jack if he doesn’t stop he’ll kill Sam. Fifth’s bugs hear Jack’s conversation with Thor and try to escape total annihilation while Jack makes his case to Thor for saving Sam.

Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c go Rambo on the replicators anyway to buy Thor some time. Sam would never want to live trapped by replicators. They would save her or not but they wouldn’t leave her this way.

Teal’c is the one that finds her and helps her up but he and Daniel leave it to Jack to talk to Sam first.

* * *

In the end... they offer him George’s job… and Jack wants to kiss Sam when she tells him if he doesn’t take the position they might end up with someone much worse, then frets over how it sounded. He wishes things were right between them again but at least he has her awkward regard.

Danny’s final comment is what decides him. He can do whatever he wants. Sam admonishes him within reason but… it’s still a great reason.

And the first thing he wants to do… he does first. Much to her surprise, he gives Sam a much deserved promotion to lieutenant colonel. She’s deserved it for a while in his opinion and Hammond had agreed with Jack when he made it one of his conditions of his own promotion. There would be others but this one… this one needed to be first. Because she was first.


	39. Electronic Sheep

Sam sits staring at the ring box. Grace stands across from her arms crossed. “What did dad say?” She finally asks her mom about the ring.

“That he wouldn’t be where he is.” Sam admitted, not noticing Grace had called Jack dad because she was so preoccupied with the ring.

“That’s it?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Sam sighed. “He’d be long gone…” she trailed off.

“If it wasn’t for me? I doubt it, mom.”

Finally what Grace is saying registers. “How did you…?”

“I’ve known for a while.” Grace tells her mother dismissively.

Sam really looks at her daughter for the first time. She’s nine now, tall, and slender like herself and her father at the same age… but so much like him in personality. How much of that was genetic how much him being part of her life? “Does he know?”

“That I know? Yup. And he’s not around just because of me mom. You think he means that but did you ask him how he feels about you? Wait no… that wouldn’t work on dad. Did you ask him if he loves you?”

“Why would that…?”

Grace huffs and rolls her eyes. “Mom… everyone keeps telling me it’s your decision, your choice but I have to live with this too if you marry this guy, and… look I don’t know what happened between you and dad but…” Grace paused, waiting for her mom to look at her, “Don’t marry this guy. He’s just a... what did Cassie call him… a rebound guy. Put him off, tell him you haven’t decided, say no but you’d still like to date but mom don’t marry this guy. Not while you’re still in love with dad.”

“Why would you think I’m still in love with your father?”

“Uh… because you’ve been avoiding him. Duh.”

“Grace…”

“Mom just… please go talk to him. Find out what he meant. Ask him questions he has to give yes or no answers to so he can’t slide past the answers.”

Grace’s eyes are pleading. She knows she won’t get through to her mom about what a creep Pete is... She’s been trying that for nearly a year. But playing on her feelings for dad might work where reasoning with her mom had not. She didn’t understand how her mom was so smart about everything else but clearly so dumb about guys. Sure Grace had the advantage of a private school that she took whatever classes she wanted but still got to interact with kids her own age who were also on her level. Something her mom hadn’t been able to do, but come on, at some point you had to wise up right?

Sam looks at the ring for a long time. Grace wasn’t wrong. She did still love Jack. Desperately. But he was still her commanding officer and now… well… unless she left the SGC no matter what she did he was her CO.

But was it right to be with Pete, marry him knowing her feelings for Jack were unresolved? How did Grace get smarter about guys than her? Did she see something Sam herself didn’t because she shared her father’s ability to pinpoint bullshit? Sam sighed. “All right, for now… I’ll tell him I’m not ready to get engaged.” She told her daughter.

“And you’ll talk to dad?”

“I’ll think about it.” Sam hedged.

“Please mom. Dad doesn’t understand why you don’t want to be with him anymore.” She looked at her mom sternly. “And you better not tell him I told you that either. He likes to pretend he understands everything about you but clearly he doesn’t. He’s really hurt mom. I’ve been trying to tell you that for months now.”

“He’s acted fine.” Sam tried to tell her.

“Has he? Or have you been so busy pretending to yourself that everything is fine that you’ve been ignoring him?”

Sam frowned. Had he?

* * *

The replicator Sam was a problem. She was a big huge honkin’ problem as Jack would say except in spite of Jack’s assurances Sam knew exactly why she was. She was every dark impulse Sam had. Every cruelty she thought of but did not express. Oh, she had feelings... but she used those feelings to get her way, not to fix what Fifth had done.

What worried Sam the most was what would she do if she managed to get to Earth? There were certain things her doppelganger would easily be able to manipulate. Jack had quipped if only there were two of her… Grace had been right. And Sam was afraid to talk to him still. Afraid her recent actions had affected how he feels about her but how could they not? And there was still Pete to deal with who had told her to keep the ring. Until she decided she was ready. She wished she had the courage to break things off with him. He was so earnest with his feelings though, so sweet about it. But… clearly convinced in the end she was his… even though an ever louder voice in her heart that sounded just a bit too much like Grace kept saying no. That kept reminding her that Pete was just a rebound relationship who she’d latched on to simply because his surface behavior was the opposite of Jack’s.

And she worried if the replicator got a hold of Pete… what would she do? Or of Grace for that matter? Did her daughter know her as well as Jack did that she wouldn’t be fooled? She knew Jack wouldn’t. But Pete… Pete just didn’t know her well enough to… oh hell… Pete didn’t know her at all. Grace was right. Pete charmed her and noticed surface things like she likes dancing but… he didn’t… know her. And… he wasn’t trying to either. Sam sighed.


	40. Not quite what I meant

She’d had to laugh at Daniel honestly. It wasn’t that Jack couldn’t focus. Jack was capable of laser like attention to detail. The problem was Jack had so much going on in his head that sometimes it was hard to sort it out and stick to one topic. It was like having too many tabs open on his browser and one was playing random music and another a commercial for hot sexy ladies waiting for his call.

It had been nothing but full on irony that found her and Jack hunkered down to avoid the Jaffa, preventing Jack from blowing up the puddle jumper. He’d bought her some time to get it running though with minimal complaint. For some reason she’d felt compelled to tease him about flying the ship. Enough to irk him into wanting to prove he wasn’t useless.

“Think that was vital?” He asks her amused at the destruction he’d wreaked with pretty minimal firepower. He’d thought pretty hard about tearing the thing to shreds when he fired.

“Relatively speaking.” She agreed in amusement.

Jack looked slightly abashed. He could be good at things if he wanted to. It was just…

“Um… sir…” Sam sighs. “Can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure, Carter?” Jack says agreeably. He knows he is probably opening himself up to being hurt again but she’s the mother of his kid. He’s got to deal with this head on.

“Grace knows you’re her father.” You coward. She admonishes herself mentally.

“I know.” He says with a shrug.

“You… know?”

“Have for a while. What’s your point, Carter? We had to tell her eventually and she’s a smart kid. I’m not surprised she figured it out.”

“No, I’m not either. It’s just… This complicates things.”

“I don’t see how, Carter. We’ve been plugging along for years now. Her knowing why I’m always around just makes things easier for you.” He shrugs. “Now if you want some privacy you don’t have to be subtle about it.”

Sam winces internally. She doesn’t want to need privacy. She wants things to go back to the way they were. And it’s her own fault things are where they are at. But she’s also afraid to talk to him about this because he’s clearly accepted how things are. Has he moved on? Is she too late? Sam is afraid to ask.

“When did she tell you?”

Jack shrugs. “A while ago.”

“Sir…”

Jack sighs. “A few weeks after you started dating.”

“She doesn’t like him very much.” Sam admits.

“Well she’s a kid and he’s a potential step-parent so that’s pretty normal.” He replies vaguely.

He’d given her the perfect opening to say Pete wasn’t a contender anymore but then she’d have to admit Grace had been right all along. Sam looked thoughtfully at Jack but said nothing.

“What?” Jack finally asked her, a little uncomfortable under her gaze.

Sam looks away though. “Nothing.”

“Right, well, I’ve got lots of that.” He quips just as he had the last time she’d said that but this time his smile is bitter and ironic. He wonders if she can get the time machine working on this thing if he could borrow it for a bit and never let her go on that mission to help the Prometheus limp home. Too late now he supposes. One of us should be happy.

Sam looks away out the window of the puddle jumper. She has a lump in her throat where talking to him used to make her happy most of the time. Now it just made her heart ache.

By the time they land both have their emotions under control again. Sam hasn’t talked to him about what she planned though and she still doesn’t know how to approach him on the subject.


	41. The long slow haul

Things just kind of puttered along. There was the incident with the Trust. Jack had been incredibly glad he hadn’t had Grace with him when he came home to Kinsey of all people wanting help. It was nice that the cat was out of the bag but they had stressed to Grace that she still needed to call her father Uncle Jack in public and around Pete. Sam still hadn’t broken things off with the guy in spite of Grace’s pointed remarks to her mother about leading people on.

Grace was losing patience with her mom pretty rapidly.

Oddly though their relationship settles back into friendship at least for now, Sam is still a little jumpy around him but Jack figured it was wedding jitters. She didn’t say anything to him about it of course. She seemed uncomfortable with the whole topic still. He supposed that was normal. He was technically her ex and a recent one at that.

Shortly after there was that odd run in with the barber. Seemed like a really nice guy. For years Jack had just thought he had weird daydreams of a normal life. Just an average simple guy doing his job and going home at night to his wife. Maybe he had to deal with a couple chain smoking sisters-in-law or some other nonsense. The weirdest part had been how it started. He’d been talking to Sam on the phone like they used to before things got weird between them.

He noticed she called more now, at least when the cop wasn’t in town. In fact, she hadn’t said anything about the cop in a while. And when they do talk outside of work it’s almost… normal? Like they were okay again.? Jack wasn’t going to look a gift Jaffa in the mouth. Whatever had changed… well, he’d take it. He’d missed her. More than he’d ever be willing to admit.

And then while Sam is off on a mission Jacob finally shows back up. With not such great news. And then Sam and Teal’c come back sans Danny and things go from bad to worse. Evil twin Sam seemed to think Danny was the solution to all her problems regarding ancient tech. Jack was almost positive that was unlikely to be true but… well, it wasn’t entirely impossible and if she found out Danny was worthless she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him either.

Sam feels guilty about losing Danny to evil twin Sam. Jack tells her it’s not her fault, that he told her to work with the machine to get information. If they weren’t at work he’d hug her and let her cry about it as she clearly needed to but right now they didn’t have time for her self blame. He did suggest using the time machine. Honestly, he had a pretty strong urge to use it right now anyway. But Sam for obvious reasons worried they might only make things worse. And Thor didn’t waste any time collecting her to do something about her buggy little clone.

And for the first time Jack actually has a disagreement with Jacob but in Jack’s defense, it’s about Teal’c safety. Jack will sacrifice a lot of things. His friends are not on that list of things. And then the object of their argument pops in like a sleazy ex. Ba’al.

Sam pulls their fat out of the fire though. He knew she would. It’s what she does. Or… he thought she had but then she’s in his office cussing up a blue streak. He’s actually a little impressed. And it doesn’t sound like Thor can fix this. “Hungry?” He asks her.

She gives him an amused smile. He takes it as a yes and they head for the commissary.

Bocce is peeved at Jack for running late for their little meeting... which was Jack’s entire point. He enjoys annoying the snake back. His delicious tuna however, no longer sits well when Bocce fills him in that Anubis is perfectly happy to use a M’Kraan[1] crystal level doomsday weapon.

Jack ends his long distance call with his least favorite snake and calls Sam and her dad into a conference. They hash out a plan and he sends them off. If anyone could solve this it was the two of them. Jack went back to his office and worried about Daniel. He hoped if evil twin Sam killed him that it would be quick and mostly painless.

But he has other problems to deal with. Replicators swarm the base and Jack has to make the call. He needs to get everyone out and orders a nuke up to drop down the hatch as it were. He’s a little miffed. The novel he was reading is in his desk drawer unfinished. He and Reynolds get Siler out of his hidey hole with a bit of spontaneous disassembly of a blast door. Jack quips that he’d better be in Sly’s will and the younger man quips back that he already is. Smartass.

Jack and Al group up with everyone that hasn’t gotten out yet and fall back. He tells Walter on his mark to drop the hammer even if he’s not out yet.

While he and Al are trying to hold the damned things off they suddenly stop dead. “That’s odd.” He says, they shrug at each other and go back to shooting the damned things. Of course it didn’t last but the reprieve was nice whatever caused it.

Once she’s dirtside, they bicker a little about Daniel’s status, that he might have been why the replicators stopped for a short time. Sam still doesn’t seem to believe Danny is able to squeak out of some pretty crazy situations but Jack knows Spacemonkey. He brushes her off about it but after she leaves Jack is pensive. If he was on the ship… he hoped Danny was able to ascend again.

[1] Various comic book weapons https://www.cbr.com/most-powerful-marvel-weapons/


	42. Meet the Parents

“Dad?” Pete asked astonished to finally meet Sam’s father.

“Not quite yet. You have to actually marry my daughter before you can call me that.” And frankly, he thinks to Selmak, he’s not my first choice. Selmak tiredly tuts at him to give the boy a chance. Jake asks him if he’s all right but the Tok’ra is barely hanging on and doesn’t answer.

Sam smiles in amusement.

“I was just… I mean… er… ah… It's an honor to meet you, Sir.” He finally gets out. “Really.” He says putting out his hand. He supposed things were still okay with them if Sam was having him come to the SGC to meet her dad. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks Sam who smiles nervously.

“I didn’t want you to be nervous.” Sam tells him but really it’s because she wants her dad’s read on the guy without him being prepared.

“Why would I? I wouldn't. I… I've been dying to meet you.” Pete stammers out.

“I think it was Sam that was nervous.” Jacob suggests though he’s not sure why. There’s something up. Sam hadn’t told him either.

“How did not telling me help?” Pete asks her dumbly.

“It didn't.” Sam shrugs.

Jacob looks at Pete who smiles gratingly back at him.

They pick up Grace upstairs from the NORAD daycare room and head for breakfast.

At the diner down the road from the SGC, Grace is trying to be on her best behavior. Grandpa is already mad. He doesn't like Pete either but he’s pretending to mom that he does. So Grace stays quiet because she's already figured out Pete doesn't like that Grace is smarter than him. A _lot_ smarter than him.

"So Sam tells me she's decided to wait a bit longer before she commits to marrying you." Jacob tells the other man rather pointedly. Over my dead body, he thinks and wishes Selmak would rouse herself and roll her eyes.

"She's just very busy right now with work. I'm sure once things settle down again we can revisit the idea. We’re still doing some of the preliminary things like seeing a florist tomorrow." Pete says grinning. Grace rolls her eyes discreetly and Jake knows Selmak would point out while giggling helplessly that his granddaughter couldn't be more like her father if she tried.

"Well, that's up to Sam don't you think?" Jacob asks, eyes narrowed.

"Pete tells me he's put in for a transfer to Colorado Springs PD, dad."

"Oh goodie." Jacob says sarcastically and watches Grace's face twitch trying not to laugh.

"Well, I know Grace enjoys time with her dad and this way she can spend more with him." Pete gives Grace a big false smile that has Grace narrowing her eyes.

Sam had already told Jacob that Pete knows Grace's dad is part of her life but not specifically who it was. "I'm sure he'd prefer that."

"So who is this mysterious guy anyway? Grace never talks about him." Pete says ingratiatingly

Grace scowls when Sam pinches her knee under the table. "Her father prefers his privacy and I respect that." She shoots a warning look at her father to let it drop.

"Well, eventually she'll have a little brother or sister to help take care of." Pete says cheerfully.

"I don't like babies." Grace grumbled.

Pete shrugs and smiles at her but it's a mean smile. "You can always go live at your dad's for a while."

"Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind." she says mutinously.

"I don't think we need to worry about that right now." Sam said, trying to defuse the situation.

* * *

Later in the commissary Sam asks her dad why he’s quiet. When her father brushes off the question she points out all he said was ‘he seems nice’.

Jacob shrugs. “That’s three words.”

“I’m probably gonna marry him.”

“I know. I just met him. What do you want me to say? I know how happy he makes you. That's all that matters to me.” He tells her Selmak liked the guy but evades further questions and begs off that he’s tired.

“ _Why did you lie to her?_ ” Selmak asks him tiredly after, barely able to rouse himself.

“ _And break my little girl’s heart? If she wants to marry this guy, it’s not my place to judge.”_ Jacob is relieved he’s even awake.

_“What about Jack?”_

_“What about him?_

_“She still loves him.”_

_“So?”_

_“He still loves her.”_

_“Yup.”_

_“What are you going to do about that?”_

_“I haven’t decided yet_.” He admits as Selmak slides back into a coma and Jacob is unable to rouse him again.

* * *

When Pete showed up on base, Jack decided Sam must have made her decision about Pete and called Kerry back. “Hey about dinner tonight… it looks like I’m free after all.”

Later that night a call from Sam has him heading back to work. Sex with Kerry had been… pleasant. A nice change from his year of celibacy. He told her he wasn’t looking for anything serious and she’d been fine with that. She didn’t want anything serious either.

They were in the briefing room the next morning when Sam’s cell goes off and she winces at whoever is calling then turns off the phone with an apology that she thought she’d turned it off.

Walter comes in and tells Sam she has an urgent call. She seems embarrassed and upset by the interruption. Jack is starting to wonder what’s going on.

Her behavior is odd… like she’s hiding something. She puts off whoever it is like Jack can’t figure it out then does something that piques his interest though he doesn’t show it. She says ‘yah me too’. Not ‘I love you too’ or ‘I know’ or anything sweet. It’s a brush off and Jack knows a brush off when he hears one. He’s given enough of his own.

She apologizes again as she returns to her seat

“Emergency?” Jack asks her in concern. It could be Marge after all.

“No, no, just a misunderstanding.”

“Hey, weren't you supposed to meet Pete at the florist this morning?” Jacob asks Sam but Sam glares at her dad and Jack catches it. Why wouldn’t she want him to know she was looking at flowers?

“No… dad…”

“No, I'm sure that's what you said. For the wedding.” Pete had told him all about how while they were not formally engaged yet they were looking at venues and florists so they could narrow things down when she said yes. Sam had seemed very reluctant about the issue and Jacob was nearly positive it was due to her not really wanting to marry this guy.

“I know.” Sam grits out. She shakes her head emphatically.

“Go ahead, Carter. It's supposed to be your day off, anyway.” Jack waves her off, not realizing she’d come to work to avoid doing exactly what she’d agreed to do with Pete.

“It's okay, Sir.” I really do _not_ want to go. She thinks hard at him, hoping he’ll take the hint.

Jack’s Machiavellian streak takes over. If she doesn’t want to be with this guy, she was going to have to screw up her courage and deal with hm. “Teal'c and Bra'tac are meeting with the Jaffa. There's nothing to do around here. Go pick flowers!” He waves her off with a wide smile, knowing what she was trying to pull and not letting her get away with it.

Sam sighs and glares at her father.

“What?” Jake asks, seemingly mystified by her behavior.

* * *

They have a pointless conversation about a cake she never intends to order. She lies and says she really is interested when what she wants to do is tell him it’s over. He’s so enthusiastic and sweet and teases her about the end of the world. She knows she agreed to do this stuff even though she didn’t accept the ring because it was understood that it was only for now but… she didn’t want this. Any of this. She pretends to be happy, even jokes back that him being a human makes him her type.

He tells her he has a surprise for her and she can’t even bring herself to care.

He bought her a house... and apparently a dog? Why did he buy her a house? “Pete…”

“Look, I know things are a little up in the air but I figured, well, if we live together for a while it will help you realize what a great catch I am and Grace won’t have to share a room anymore when Cassie is home for the summer though I hope she spends lots of time with her dad so we can get lots of time alone making her a little brother or sister.” He says hopefully.

Sam gets a sinking feeling in her stomach. She does want another child but… not… with him.

Once she gets home and thinks she has a sudden realization… Pete was choosing everything. How they would live and where. How they would spend their time. Nothing of this was… her. She sighed sadly and got in her car. On her way over she makes a phone call she’s been dreading for weeks. She should have told him at the florist.

* * *

Sam sits outside Jack’s house screwing up her courage. She sighs and goes around the side of the house when she smells barbeque. “Hi sir.” She says cheerfully. Her stomach fluttering nervously.

“Carter!” He greets her happily.

“Look, I'm sorry to bother you at home like this, but um…” She twines her fingers together.

“How did you know I was here?” He wonders at her.

“I saw the smoke.” She points out with a little smile. Neither notices they are being watched from inside the house.

“Oh yah.” He realizes and looks at the smoking grill then wipes his face of the sweat and soot.

“Look, is this okay? I mean, I could have called first.” I definitely should have called; she thinks to herself. He seems distracted.

“No, yeah. I mean, it's fine. So, um… what brings you to this neck of the woods on such a fine day, in my backyard?” He asks her, wincing inwardly at how lame he sounds as per freaking usual. No wonder she moved on, you yutz.

“Well, actually, I've… ummm…” She says nervously and clears her throat. “I've been sitting in your driveway for the last ten minutes, trying to work up the nerve to come and talk to you.” She admits in a rush.

Jack doesn’t say anything, just looks at her with his eyebrows raised.

“The truth is, I've been trying to work up the nerve for a lot longer than that.” She admits.

“Oh?”

“Pete put a down-payment down on a house.” She blurts.

“Well, that's great!” He tells her cheerfully. Hopefully, she won’t notice how fake that came out.

“It’s a beautiful house…” She says slowly.

“But?” Because there is definitely a ‘but’ he refuses to pin his hopes on.

“The… the truth is, I'm having second thoughts about the whole Pete thing.”

Jack looks at her, genuinely surprised. “Why?”

“See, the thing is, the longer it goes on, the more I get the feeling that I'm making a big, huge mistake.” She finally admits.

Jack glances uncomfortably at the house. “Look, Carter, I don't know what…” He starts to tell her but she doesn’t let him finish.

“I'm sorry to bother you with this, but uh, see, there's actually a very good reason that I'm bothering you with this, and if I don't tell you now, I might never…”

And that’s when Kerry walks out of the house towards them. “Jack, I looked everywhere, but I could not fi…” She looks at Sam who looks back at her. They smile politely. “Colonel Carter.” She says politely.

Jack gestures at Kerry. “Ms. Johnson.” He introduces her to Sam.

“Yeah, I... I didn't…” Sam stammers out.

Jack in a moment of wild inspiration says “We were just meeting here, in my backyard on this fine day, to discuss the state of affairs.” Hoping like hell Sam wouldn’t catch on that this was in fact a date. A casual one yet… still a date. And why the hell had he used the word affair? Probably because you know you’re having one you asshole.

“Well, this is awkward.” Kerry says.

“Yah think” Sam says sarcastically back.

“Jack didn't want anyone at the SGC to know about… us.” Kerry tells Sam, knowing it made things sound like more than they were.

“No! Look, I… I…uh…I'm sorry, this is my fault, I really, I shouldn't have come by unannounced like this.” Sam tells her uncomfortably and starts backing away.

“Well, you know, now that the cat's out of the bag, you're here, why don't you just stay? I'm sure there's enough charred meat on the grill for all three of us.” She says with a cheerful smile. She wanted to feel this woman out. Clearly there was unresolved business which was probably why Jack had wanted only a casual thing. It was technically only their second date. Last night’s sex had been rather meaningless in her book.

Jack gestures to Kerry with a burnt sausage.

“No, thank you, I um…” Sam stammers out, trying to figure out how to flee. Her phone rings and it’s the SGC. She answers it. “Colonel Carter. What? When? Okay, I'm on my way.” She turns to them as she switches off her phone. “I gotta go. It's my Dad” She tells them and flees around the corner of the house.

Kerry and Jack watch her for a moment before Kerry turns to him. “Go.” She says.

“What?”

“If you still love her, go, before she leaves Jack.”

Jack’s brows furrow but he nods and follows Sam around the side of the house. “Carter… wait up.” He calls to her as she starts to get in her car.

“I really do need to go sir.”

“Carter… Samantha… Wait. Please.” He says as he reaches her car.

Sam looks up at him and bites her lip.

“Look… That… that wasn’t what it looks like. Not really anyway. We’re just friends.”

“Okay.”

“Sam…”

Sam sighs.

“What were you going to say?”

Sam’s shoulders sag. “Jack… I started dating Pete because… I thought… it doesn’t matter what I thought. Anyway, well, uh…” She looks up at him and sees nothing but patience and understanding in his eyes. “I should have talked to you instead of jumping to conclusions. I’m sorry.”

“Okay…?” Jack crouches next to her at the door.

“I broke up with Pete.” She finally admits.

“I see.”

“And I’m really, really sorry I hurt you Jack. I know that doesn’t fix anything but… but I broke up with Pete because I still…” She bit her lip again.

Jack smiles gently at her. “It’s okay, Sam. Go talk to your dad. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.” She says, not sure really what to think of this. He hadn’t admitted anything back.

He stood up with a gentle brush of his hand on her cheek before backing away.

After she pulls away Kerry finally comes around the front of the house. Jack is still standing there watching where Sam’s car disappeared around the corner. “Did you guys sort things out?”

Jack shakes his head. “She dumped the fiancé.”

“What will you do about that?” she asks, curious.

“Try to win her back if she’ll have me.”

Kerry nods. “Good. Jack, look… if you have to, retire. The SGC has been run by a civilian before. Don’t waste any more time waiting.”

Jack nods.


	43. A long week at the SGC

Jacob tells Sam Selmak is dying, that he slipped into a coma shortly after they stopped the replicators with the Dakara weapon. He’d roused himself briefly but slipped back again shortly after asking Jacob what he’d do about the current situation.

Sam starts crying.

They let the Tok’ra know about Jacob’s fate and it’s left to Sam to tell him they want to come pay their respects.

“They can come.” He tells her and she expresses her disbelief that they can’t remove Selmak without killing him. He explains it’s too late to do that now. “I just want to know you're gonna be happy.” He tells her.

“I am.” She reassures him.

“Don't let rules stand in your way.” He admonishes her.

“What are you talking about?” She asks him, confused.

“You joined the Air Force because of me.” He points out to her, trying to get her to see.

“I love my job.” She says smiling.

Jacob nods and puts his hand on her cheek. “You can still have everything you want.” He tells her.

“I do dad.” She tells him. It’s a little up in the air but… she’s pretty sure… she might still have what she really wants. When her dad sighs and looks at her fondly, knowing she’s full of crap she tries to reassure him. “Really.” She insists.

* * *

Kerry stops by Jack’s office. “How’s Colonel Carter’s father?” she asks him.

“It doesn’t look good.” He admits.

“Sorry to hear that.” She says, and she was, as she closes the door behind her. “Closing the door?”

“Yah, deeply symbolic.”

“Really?”

“I meant what I said, Retire Jack. You both deserve more than this. This isn’t going to be an issue between us, is it? I’d hate to have to be reassigned. We agreed this would never affect the job.”

“We did.” He agrees.

“Good.” She says with a small smile.

She walks out the door and Jack stands pensively for a long moment. He has some questions to ask and some decisions to make.

* * *

He finds Sam in the observation room above Jacob’s medical care unit. Two Tok’ra are with Jake. She’s sitting staring out the window sadly. “You okay?” He finally asks her gently.

Sam swallows her sniffles “Actually, I'm fine. Good even, strange as that sounds. I thought I lost him four years ago. Since then we've been closer than we ever were my whole life. In a way, Selmak gave me the father I never thought I'd know.” The father I didn’t even realize I had; she thinks sadly.

“C’mere.” He says softly and wraps an arm over her shoulders. She holds his hand and sighs heavily.

“Thank you sir.” She finally tells him.

“For what?” He wonders why she thinks he’d do any less.

“For being here for me.” She turns and kisses his fingers before looking out the window again.

“Always.” He assures her. And he meant it. He’d never let her go again if he could help it.

They look at each other for a long time, his expression gentle. Understanding. He’s held his share of vigils.

Jacob tells the Tok’ra in the room that he’s ready and one of the Tok’ra signals Sam to return to the room.

She goes to her father’s side and kisses his forehead.

“I love you.” He tells her and passes.

Sam stands crying, Jack watches her through the window above for a second before closing his eyes with his own pain and loss. Jacob had been a good friend. Jack had talked to him before Kerry asked him how Jacob was. Jacob told him to take care of his granddaughter and to not give up on Sam. Jack had held his hand and told Jacob that Sam had left the cop and Jack would do whatever it took to win Sam back. Jake had patted his hand and said he’d always been his first choice after Daniel. Both men had grinned in amusement.

* * *

“You’re sure Sam?” he asks her. They were sitting outside the house that now has a sold sign on it.

Sam nods sadly. She’d only come to return the ring and make up for being a coward and calling him instead of doing this in person. “You…”

Pete cuts her off. “I knew from the beginning. Guess I just thought that… that you were worth the risk. Don't say I deserve better. Can't get much better than you.”

“That’s not true.” She says shaking her head.

“I wish I could believe this had something to do with your father. You needed some time to sort things out.” He looks at her but she doesn’t meet his eyes. “I guess all I can say is, I hope you get what you want.” He tells her bitterly.

“That’s it?”

He turns on her, angry, “What do you want? You want me to get down on my knees and beg?”

“God, no, of course not. It's just, I thought you would react differently.” She looked a little appalled. Sam finally sees what Grace has been saying she’s seen all along.

“Bye Sam.” He tells her bitterly and gets up and heads for the sale sign and rips the ‘sold’ sign off and then in half.

“Pete…” she says softly with regret. He might not be right for her but she hoped he found someone who suited him more.

* * *

Sam goes to Jack’s house after talking to Pete. He’d called and asked to see her in person so she had. It had been the right thing to do. Even Jack thought so, but then told her when she was done to come over and they would talk.

That night Sam spilled her heart out while Jack listened patiently. About the hallucinations on the Prometheus and her stupid assumption when she got home and he’d be less than receptive to her calling him by his name at work then how often Grace had gotten on her ass that Pete wasn’t a good fit but for crying out loud she’s nine not thirty how would she know. Jack reminds Sam their daughter is a very observant kid.

She tells him she understands if she’s totally screwed things up but could they at least be friends for Grace’s sake. It’s then that Jack finally kisses her. It’s tender at first, a slow gentle promise and offer of unconditional forgiveness but it quickly evolves into tugging at each other’s clothes and urgent lovemaking on his worn comfortable couch. She sleeps cradled on his chest on the couch that night and she’s never felt safer or more loved.

The next day Teal’c tells Jack Anubis has gained control of the weapon on Dakara. Jack suggests nuking the damned thing and Teal’c reminds him that Anubis isn’t a fool, that he’d shield the gate. Sam suggests dialing the Alpha Site to prevent Anubis from dialing in. Jack tells her to just go. He trusts her to do her job regardless of their relationship.

She runs for the stairs but she’s too late. The gate starts dialing before Walter can get the program to start running the address. They shut the iris but Sam reminds them that the iris won’t stop an energy blast.

Jack orders the self-destruct.

“That's not going to destroy the gate, and theoretically there's only a remote chance it would disengage an active incoming…” She starts to argue but Jack cuts her off.

“Carter!” He barks and shakes his head. It’s all they’ve got. “Carter…” He says softly to her.

They set the self-destruct and order everyone else out. A few remain out of duty but the base is cleared of everyone else. Strangely the timer just stops at 1.26 seconds and the gate closes.

Sam, Walter, and Jack look at each other.

“Wormhole disengaged.” Walter tells them.

“What’s going on?” Sam asks, mystified.

“I don't know, it must be some kind of… system malfunction.” Walter says, unable to make heads or tails of it.

“That’s impossible.” Sam argues.

“Shut it off.” Jack tells her and Sam leans over and aborts the self-destruct.

“Aborting self-destruct.” Sam says, still clearly flummoxed.

* * *

Bra’tac, Teal’c, Sam, and Jack sit in the briefing room discussing the odd turn of events.

“I still don't quite understand what happened. One minute Anubis is about to push the button that ends all life in the galaxy and the next minute he's just… gone.” Sam says.

“Indeed, it is a great mystery” Teal’c agrees.

“One can only assume he was vanquished by some beings. If not, why would he forfeit the weapon and his army?” Bra’tac tells them.

Sam and Jack exchange a significant look. They had just discussed this a couple days ago.

“You think?” She asks Jack, all but reading his mind.

“I do.” He tells her.

“It's the only thing that would explain the self-destruct not going off.” Sam muses.

Bra’tac looks from Sam to Jack. “Of what do you speak?”

“O'Neill believes that Daniel Jackson was somehow responsible.” Teal’c tells Bra’tac, somewhat disapprovingly as the likelihood that Daniel Jackson has once again defied the odds is very low.

“Nope. Wasn’t me.” Came a muffled reply.

Sam about jumps out of her skin looking up.

“Anybody else hear that?” Jack asks cautiously and is reassured by Sam’s slow walleyed nod.

“I’m in here.” Daniel’s voice comes from Jack’s office.

“That’s Daniel.” Jack says with mixed emotions, the chief of which is wild hope, and heads for his office where Daniel’s voice is coming from. Jack was literally just in there and there was no way into his office from the door at the end of the hall without a pass key with the correct clearance.

“Don’t… don’t come in!” Daniel squeaks.

Jack realizes why when he walks in on a stark nude Danny trying to cover himself. He looks at the flags near the door and grabs the SGC one and holds it out so Danny can take it.

“It’s a long story,” Danny tells them. No one will meet his eye but they can’t help it. He’s standing in nothing but a base flag.


	44. Determined experimental value

Later that night Sam and Grace sat in Jack’s living room after dinner. He’d ordered them Italian take out. He supposed he could have cooked but he wanted to focus on his family.

Grace was curled up in a corner reading. “Hey kiddo, can we talk to you about something?” Jack said to his daughter.

“Sure dad.” She said absently and put her book down with a marker in it. Neither parent approved of tenting a book. She was currently reading something by Piers Anthony that made her giggle every few minutes. The cover had a chimera on it.

Sam and Jack exchanged a look. They had terrible news and they hoped… wonderful news. Which to tell her first? Sam nodded slightly. They would start with dad.

“Grace sweetie… I have some bad news I need to tell you.” Sam said sadly.

Grace got up and sat on the coffee table facing her mom. “Don’t tell me, you decided to marry the shrub.” She says resigned.

“No… that is something we need to talk to you about, but… that’s not it. Grace honey… it’s about your grandpa. He was sick when he got into town, that’s why he came home. To say goodbye.”

“He told me to tell you he loves you and he’s sorry he couldn’t do it in person.” Jack told her.

“So…. he’s… already gone?”

“I’m so sorry Grace, there wasn’t enough time to try to get you into the facility.” Sam says to her apologetically.

Grace’s eyes well up and she finds herself in both her parents’ arms, Jack has joined Sam on the couch to hug her. Grace cries softly. “I miss him.” She sniffles.

“We miss him too sweetheart.”

After a while Grace sits up and realizes her parents aren’t just holding her, they are holding each other as well. She had felt something had shifted between them the last few weeks but had been afraid to hope. Her mom, after all, was still dating Pete. Pete… “Mom… Is Pete going to be at the funeral?”

“I don’t think so honey… Pete and I… well… we agreed things weren’t working out.”

“Did grandpa know? He didn’t like Pete at all. Neither did Selmak.”

“You knew about Selmak?” Jack asks her, a bit concerned.

“Of course, Dad. Grandpa trusted me. Selmak was pretty cool. I liked talking to her… him? That always confused me about the Tok’ra.”

Jack chuckles and ruffles her dark blond curls. “Dad and I talked about that. He knew your mom dumped Pete.”

“You told him?” Sam asks Jack, leaning back a little in surprise.

“It came up.” He hedged.

“Thank you… I… didn’t want to explain after just introducing him that it was already over.” Sam admitted.

“Out of curiosity why did you spring them on each other like that?”

“Er… well… I wasn’t gonna, but I wanted dad’s honest opinion of Pete as himself and not him on his best behavior.”

“He acted like a jerk at breakfast dad.” Grace supplied.

“He wasn’t that bad.” Sam hedged.

“Total… jerk.” Grace repeated. “Basically said if I don’t like it, to move in with you, which… honestly mom, I would have.” Grace tells her mother with a frown.

“Well you don’t need to worry about it anymore kiddo. He’s out of the picture.” Jack told her and tugged on a curl.

Grace looks down at her mom’s hand in her dad’s resting in his lap. She looks up at her parents, her eyes enquiring.

Sam bites her lip and Jack gives her a small abashed smile. “Your mom and I have been talking. We’ll need to be quiet about it at first but ah… your mom and I… well…” Jack stalled off and Sam gave him an amused look.

“What your dad is trying to say is if it’s all right with you, we’d really like to try being a family again.”

Grace’s face fell into an O of shock. She swallowed. “Really?”

Jack nods. Sam smiles nervously.

Grace flung herself into their arms and hugged them both as hard as she could.

“Would you mind too much staying with your aunt for a week? Your mom and I would like to spend a few days up at the cabin together after the funeral.”

“I thought you said it was going to be a team thing?” Sam asks him.

“Well yah the one day but… ah… Sam I only invited the guys for an overnight. The rest of the time…”

Sam blushes.

“Grooooss…. I’m your kid. Jeeze guys.”


	45. Go fish

“Okay, I'm gonna get this up to the lab for analysis.” Sam tells Jack of the ZPM they had apparently gone back in time to get.

Jack swipes the box away. He knows her. “No! I'll take it. There's a whole room full of geeks up there just dyin' to get their hands on this.” He grins. “You've got packin' to do.” He says with a cheeky grin as he passes her.

Sam looks at him annoyed, but smiles in amusement as he passes by. He very discreetly had grabbed her ass behind the table where the security cameras wouldn’t see it.

* * *

“You’re sure you will be all right?” Sam asked Marge.

“I’m positive, doll. Someone needs to collect the rent on this place until you come back.” she said, waving her hand referring to the bungalow with boxes scattered about.

Jacob’s memorial at Arlington had been last week. Catherine had passed within days of her dad and they had decided Daniel would represent the family at hers. Ernest had understood their situation. There was no way she could attend both and Jack wasn’t going to let her attend alone with just Grace as Mark was unable to get the time off even for his father’s memorial. Jacob never did get to drive up to California to see him and now Sam had to explain a lot of things to her younger brother. Starting with… Sam didn’t even know where to start.

“I just worry that I should take you with me or leave Grace here entirely.”

“Sam, let her finish out the school year. I’ll drive out a few days after. She’ll be fine.”

Jack bounded up the porch and poked his head into the open front door. “My two favorite ladies.” He said to them and pulled Marge into a hug before going to Sam, sweeping her into his arms dramatically and kissing her.

Sam blushed a little when he released her, not used to him being openly affectionate yet. “What brings you by? You didn’t have the day off.”

“I did… not. But I am stopping by because Hammond wants to see me in his office pronto so I’m driving to Peterson in about an hour to catch a flight to DC.” He explains and starts poking around inside the boxes.

“Did he say why?”

“Uh… no.” Jack says but looks thoughtful.

“We aren’t in trouble, are we?”

Jack gives her a startled look. “Pretty sure we aren’t. He’s always looked the other way in the past.”

“Right. So why do I have this sinking feeling in my gut that another shoe is going to drop?”

“No idea. I’m not even telling the guys until we get to the cabin as you will officially not be working for me as of then.”

“Well it’s going to be pretty awkward if you don’t.” Sam reminds him, her smile amused.

“Why would it…?” Marge asks confused.

“Sleeping arrangements.” Sam and Jack say together and both laugh.

Marge chuckles. “I just want you both to know that little girl of yours has been deliriously happy for days now, even with the move to Nevada.”

“That’s why we haven’t told her the rest yet. She’s already having trouble not telling everyone and their brother that her parents are back together again.” Jack tells her.

“The rest?” Marge asks, pretty sure what he means but wanting to double check.

“We need a little logistic help.” Jack says cryptically.

“It doesn’t have to be elaborate, in fact… simple is better. We found a pavilion at Cheyenne Canyon Mesa park and a spot in the Garden of The Gods, although someone has to arrive early to shoo tourists away...” Sam hedges.

“Sam…” Marge grins… “Are you telling me I need to help you pick out a nice dress and some flowers by chance?” Marge teases her.

Sam bites her lip and blushes brightly but smiles. “I know it’s too soon after calling things off with Pete but it’s only going to be the guys, a couple close friends from work and Mark if he can make it out.”

“You’ve talked to him?”

“I told him Pete and I ended things… he ah… told me Pete had already called and that he was honestly surprised I dated him as long as I did when he really thought about it. Apparently he didn’t like some of the comments Pete made about Grace”

“But…?”

“No ‘but’ actually. I told him a lot of the reasons had to do with my feelings for Jack and that we’d probably get married as soon as my transfer papers were official.”

Marge grins. “Well, it’s about time.” She hugs Jack then Sam. “I’ve got nothing to do during the day anyway. Go on your vacation. I’ll handle the venue. Give me colors for what you want and what decoration wise you’re thinking of. You’ll need to make the final call but I can narrow things down.”

“Well this is a lot easier than trying to be at a florist at seven AM.” Sam grumbles and Jack pulls her into his arms and nuzzles her neck.

“You didn’t want to go anyway.”

“You made me go! I tried to put it off.”

“You kept putting off breaking things off with him.” Jack says, shrugging.

“You knew?” She demands, turning in his arms.

Jack shrugs. “You have a tell.”

Sam arches an eyebrow.

“I’m not telling you, it’s the only advantage I have, Carter.” He yelps.

Marge starts to giggle. “Kids…”

“Yah Carter.” Jack said childishly.

Sam huffs.

“Now how do I pick out a dress for Grace without her knowing it’s a junior bridesmaid dress?” Marge mused.

“Call Cassie, have her help.” Sam suggested.

“Sam… _you_ will tell Cass you got engaged.” Marge ordered her.

“Fiinneee…” Sam says but she grins.

“She’s going to lose her mind.” Jack mused.

“She’s going to lose a bet.”

“Huh?”

“Her name is on one of the betting squares.”

“On that note, Carter, I’ll be back in two days. Bring… very skimpy clothing to sleep in.” He kisses her and heads out the door.

* * *

“Your timing is interesting, Jack. I have a solution for your issue as well.” Hammond tells him.

“Oh?” Jack asks him curiously.

“Jack, I’m getting old. I want to retire and spend some time with my grandkids. And I think I could eliminate any insinuation of impropriety for you two.” George says smiling.

“Okay. Lay it on me.”

“Jack, I want you to take over the position as head of Homeworld Security.”

“Come again?”

“You’re ready, Jack, and you pretty much have unlimited flight hours so if you want to live in Nevada on the weekends there’s no reason you can’t spend your days off with your wife.”

“Uh…”

“Walter ratted you out when I lost on the betting squares, son. Congratulations. When’s the date?”

“We need to pin that down still, sir, but before she moves.”

“You only have a couple of weeks. Planning a wedding isn’t that easy.”

Jack shrugs though. “Easier than you think, we are having it at a park so all we really need is a caterer and photographer.”

“And a minister, a cake, flowers…” George reminds him.

“Uh… yah… That’s Marge’s department while Sam and I go up to the cabin this weekend.”

“Sam delegated her own wedding?”

“I think the part she cares about is getting married before she leaves for Nevada.”

“Go through Nevada’s adoption courts. Colorado took us two years for Cassie.” George tells Jack. “And congratulations. I bet Grace is happy she can call you dad in public finally.”

Jack gave George a mild look which bordered on ‘deer in the headlights’.

“Relax, Jack. I’ve known for years. Janet told me when she tested the blood on that note and there was a sample that was a near match with yours. The only blood work she had on file that was a match was Grace’s.”

“She never said anything…” Jack said thoughtfully.

“It was very evident you were surprised to see each other the first day at SGC. Clearly Grace wasn’t the product of an ongoing situation therefore it wasn’t the business of the Air Force as to who her father was.”

“And you still want me for this job?”

“I need someone I can trust to keep secrets for a very long time, Jack.” George tells him pointedly.

Jack coughs, embarrassed. “Can I have one of Thor’s beaming thingies?”

George chuckles. “Have the base staff make you a cake. It’s not their first rodeo for that. I’ll cover the catering. If you have Sam get me a menu and the venue and date I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you, sir.” Jack tells him surprised.

“I promised Jake I’d take care of my goddaughter. And I always keep my promises.”

Jack nods.

* * *

They had gotten to the cabin late midday and taken a long afternoon nap before waking up, making love, and then digging though the groceries they bought to make a simple meal together.

He’d told her in the drive up about Hammond’s request and his offer to handle some of the wedding planning. Then he told her about Janet knowing all along. He’d held her hand while she wiped away tears at the loss of Janet.

The next morning both dressed warmly, her thick blue sweater wrapped around her.

“This is great.” She told him from the chair next to him.

“I told yah!” He said, excited that Sam actually loved the cabin for itself and not just because she loved him.

“I can't believe we didn't do it years ago.” She mused.

“Yes, well, let's not dwell.” Jack told her as though all these years had just been an inconvenience nothing more.

Sam chuckled. “Didn't that tape say there were no fish in your pond?” she asked him of the fish plopping in the pond.

Teal’c and Daniel come up behind them, a cooler between them.

They looked at each other, Sam wide eyed, Jack’s face a study of ‘how bad is this really’? “Close enough.” He told her with a shrug.

Sam nods as Jack glanced back at Daniel who pulls out a beer and stands behind Jack. Jack casts his line again. He’d lied about his pond having no fish anyway. He was just bad at catching them. He couldn’t wait to tell the guys they were invited to a wedding. One Sam actually wanted to be in.


	46. Kind of…

“Sam! You _need_ a dress.” Cassie ordered her.

“Cass... it’s just an informal get together. No one is going to notice if I have a wedding dress or not.” Sam tried to shoo her goddaughter off.

“Sam, we are buying you a dress. Now come on.” The tall auburn haired girl told her aunt as she grabbed her arm and tugged her to the door.

“But we won’t have time for alterations.” Sam argued.

“I have dad’s credit card. You can get anything if you pay enough money for it.” She says as the head for the Volvo Sam had given her goddaughter. Her university didn’t technically have campus housing so she was renting a small apartment. She’d picked up a couple roommates eventually but Jack had foot the bill until she had. He’d told her to keep the card after for emergencies and she’d been really good about only using it for a food shortfall at the end of the month and occasionally gas money but nothing else. There were several thousand dollars available credit.

“Jack is not paying for my dress.” Sam told her firmly.

“No Grandpa Jacob will be actually. Uncle George called me last night.” Cassie says smugly.

“What?” Sam demands.

“Well, he was going to do it for the shrub but I got an e-mail that there’s money in an account for your wedding or honeymoon. I think you should use it to marry Dad.”

Sam gave her an odd look.

“Well I know you guys don’t have time for a honeymoon. You could at least have a nice dress.”

Sam yawned. “Okay, okay.. fine… but I’ve been stress eating so we better get something loose.”

“Jeeze. am I boring you?” Cassie teases her from the driver’s seat as they pull up to a small dress boutique. “This is where I got our bridesmaid dresses. I just ordered Grace’s in her size. Aunt Marge can take it in if little miss skinny needs it, but it has a sash.”

Sam chuckles. “I don’t want to keep this from her but she’ll lose her mind if I don’t. She’s already bouncing off walls every time she sees her Dad.”

“Gee Sam, I wonder why Pipsqueak is excited her parents are finally getting married.” Cass tells her as she parks the car.

“Yah yah… I was gonna buy you lunch but not now, Miss Smarty Pants.” Sam admonishes her good-naturedly.

They walk into the dress shop to the tinkle of an entry bell and are greeted by a receptionist. “Good morning ladies. Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes I was in a week and a half ago for myself, my great aunt, and cousin. This is my aunt who’s getting married and has an appointment for nine thirty.” Cassie tells the smiling younger woman at the desk with lustrous long dark straight hair and vivid green eyes.

“Let’s see… Samantha Carter for the Carter-O’Neill wedding?”

“That’s the one.” Cassie says with a grin but Sam looks a little shocked. “What’s the matter?”

“I… Cass… I’m marrying Jack.”

“Yah… that’s the plan, Sam.” Cassie says looking at her strangely.

“Sorry, it just really hit home when she said it that way.”

Cassie giggles. “Sam… do you have the wedding jitters?”

“Uh… I… yah, yah I guess I do.” Sam admitted.

Cassie grinned at her. “That’s _really_ cute Aunt Sam.”

“Glad you think so.” Sam mutters.

“Come on. Quit yer gripin.”

“All right, that’s just creepy when you mimic your mom.” Sam said, chuckling.

While they teased each other, the clerk had gotten Sam’s dress consultant who was a tall slender aging man wearing a grey suit, had a tape measure draped around his neck and greeted them with an engaging smile when he did so which was only fleetingly.

“Ah, Samantha.” He says effusively as though he’d known her for years. “Your niece has many kind things to say of you. The bridal party dresses will be ready tomorrow, as you appear to be a woman of simple but elegant taste and are on limited time. I believe the Wangs we have on hand will suit you and, darling, your height. Just fabulous. You will look striking in anything.” He tells Sam who looks a little embarrassed.

“Let’s get your measurements, darling.” He led them to a corner of the shop that was semi-private. “Arms up, darling.” He said as he dragged the measuring tape from his neck. “I would say you are about a size six in standard sizes, we go by measurements here as manufacturers are utterly inconsistent.” He murmurs as he checks her bust measurement and frowns a little when he moves to her waist. “I think perhaps nothing too fitted. One should not be in pain on their wedding day.”

“What? Oh no… no my father just died and I’ve been stress eating a little.” Sam said. “I’m sure a couple days of watching what I eat will solve the issue.”

“Darling, unless you stress ate a baby, your issue isn’t food related.” He told her with an amused smile.

“Er…. What?”

“Oh dear, you hadn’t noticed yet, I see. Well, I’ve measured many brides and I assure you, dear, you are a few weeks along.” He shrugs. “I had thought perhaps you were simply old fashioned and marrying the father out of some sense of propriety.” He shrugs and measures Sam’s waist to her ankle.

“I’m… I can’t be… it shouldn’t have worn off so quickly.” Sam says mystified. Sure she’d stopped the depo shots more or less timed to a little before her original honeymoon was initially planned by Pete, knowing it took a while for depo shots to be completely out of your system even if they pushed the date back more but it shouldn’t be out of her system yet… and… what if the baby wasn’t Jack’s? There was about a week and a half spread between the two men.

“You have been awfully tired, Aunt Sam.”

“I just got back from vacation with Jack, Cass. Of course I’m tired.” Sam snapped.

“First… ew. Second…” Cassie just laughed. “Somewhere mom and Grandpa Jake are laughing their asses off.”

The consultant whose name tag read ‘Simon’ shrugged. “Tender breasts, bloating, I imagine you’re a little late as well.”

“Only by a couple days… I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. I can’t possibly be pregnant.” Sam insists. I can’t believe I got pregnant on accident again.

“Well I’m stopping at the drug store on the way home and we’re finding out.” Cassie told her.

“Oh fer cryin’ out loud.” Sam groused which made Cassie crack up all over again.

* * *

Sam looked at the box in her lap. This wasn’t her first rodeo obviously but it sure was her first instance of she had to consider the other person’s feelings.

“What’s the matter, Sam?” Cassie asked her, pulling into a local diner.

“We haven’t talked about kids… I mean, the last time we talked about it I pretty much told Jack I don’t want any more kids. What if he doesn’t want another baby, Cass?”

Cassie shrugs and gets out of the car. “Come on Sam, you need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.” She mumbles as she puts the box down and gets out. At least she’d found a dress.

“When I was little, I wanted you and dad to adopt me so much it almost hurt when Janet said she would. I didn’t understand why you couldn’t just get married and be a family as it was pretty obvious Jack was Grace’s dad. But it wouldn’t have been fair to Grace to saddle her with a big sister out of the blue and you guys were never home. If Aunt Marge hadn’t agreed to help you out, I don’t know what you would have done. I know you still owed the Air Force a lot of money for school back then, that’s why you had such a little house, wasn’t it?”

Sam nods as a waitress leads them to a table.

“Okay, so you still made it work. Sam, Jack loves you so much he’s waited years and you almost getting married to someone else. He’s not going to be upset about a baby.”

Sam is pensive, however. It’s not just another baby… it’s that the baby might not be Jack’s.


	47. Beef tips and Mushrooms

**Beef tips and Mushrooms**

They had opted for simple all the way. Marge, who was the only one of them skilled at driving large vehicles in high heeled shoes, was behind the wheel of Teal’c’s black SUV. It sat in the motor pool more than not and the guys had taken Daniel’s station wagon that had seen better days and gone to Jack’s house. He’d have to sign off on it being watched by the security company the SGC used for long assignments before they left for Groom Lake. Jack would spend a week and a half helping her get settled in the house Sam had rented then head to DC except on weekends. Sam thought about her conversation with him about the baby.

“Jack.” She said to him nervously. Cassie had taken Grace with her to Nevada to show her around campus. Sam was willing to let Grace do class sit-ins if she behaved and only during the summer sessions.

“Hey, I put the potatoes in the oven, Sam, but they might take a while, we should wait a while before we start the beef tips and mushrooms.” Jack says to her then notices her anxious expression. “What’s wrong?”

Sam bit her lip and looked at the floor for a while from the door frame where she was standing.

Jack walked over to her and tipped her chin up. “Hey… talk to me.” He said to her gently.

“I found a dress.”

“Cool.” He smiled but her miserable expression didn’t change. “Not cool?” His hands settled on her shoulders.

“I uh… also found out something.”

“You like pink?”

“Jack…” she choked out a chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

“C’mere, Carter.” He tells her and draws her into a hug. “What’s got you so upset? You haven’t changed your mind, have you? Because I’m okay with just shacking up if you want.” He says with a pragmatic shrug.

She snuggles against his chest for a long moment. Here is where she’s always felt safe. “Remember when we talked about Pete asking me to marry him.”

Jack nodded, not sure where this was going.

“Well… I didn’t accept the ring but we set a tentative date and I went off my birth control because even though I wasn’t sure I wanted more kids or at least not with Pete, he really wanted a baby and I wanted to make him happy even though I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”

He hummed in response… and then it sank in a little… wait a minute… “Sam?”

“It shouldn’t have been out of my system yet.” Sam said softly.

Jack rested his face in her hair and closed his eyes. “Sam, if you don’t want this baby, you don’t have to have it.”

Sam lifted her head and looked at him. “It’s not that I don’t want it… I… Jack, I don’t know how you feel about having another baby, we didn’t talk about it and…” She bit her lip.

“Ah…. You’re worried it might not be mine.”

Sam nodded miserably again.

“Sam, I don’t love Grace because I made her. Pete has a right to know if it’s his or not but if he doesn’t want to be part of its life, I’ll sign the birth certificate. As far as I’m concerned even if Pete is the baby’s biological father, I’m still going to be their dad too.”

“You’re sure?”

“Sam. God, Sam, I love you. Don’t you understand that yet?” He kissed her gently and wiped away a tear from her cheek. “All of you Sam.”

She sighed and laid her head back on his chest. “I’m so sorry, Jack.”

“You have dated some real jerks.” Jack muses. “Sam, honey, you don’t need to apologize for this. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Well I got pregnant like an idiot.”

“So you’re two for two.” He says shrugging. “Last one came out awfully cute.” He reminds her.

Sam chuckles. “She’s smart too.”

“Yup.” He kisses the top of her hair. “Stop worrying so much, Carter. We’re fine.” He glances at the timer on the oven. “But one of us should start making those beef tips.” He grins. “I did, by the way.”

“Uh… did what?”

“Want another baby. I just figured the way you talked about it last time that you didn’t want that again so I left it alone. It’s not my choice.”

Sam looks at him perplexed.

“Well, don’t look so shocked, Carter. I love kids and we make really terrific ones so far.”

* * *

They pulled up to the parking lot behind High Point. Sam saw Walter say something into an earpiece and suddenly there was movement by the red spire of rock as tourists backed politely away to the side and the minister took up position in front of the scrubby little tree in front of the spire. Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c moved to the right of the minister, Jack in his Class As, Daniel and Teal’c in dove grey suits. They all looked incredibly handsome to Sam who felt she might be biased.

They had told Grace about three days before the wedding so she wouldn’t just lose her mind the morning of. She had surprised everyone with a loud “I knew it!”

Cassie was trying to keep Grace from bouncing out of her skin. “Chill out, Pipsqueak.” Cassie said laughing. “I was never this giddy, Aunt Sam.”

“Yah sorry, that’s all me.” Sam said chuckling.

“Come on, Doll, time to get married.” Marge told her and marched all of them off to where Walter was waiting. He motioned to the right and George Hammond, dressed in his blues like all the other Air Force and Marine guests, came around an outcropping.

“I know you asked Teal’c to walk you to your husband, Sam, but I was hoping you’d allow an old Texan to do the honors.”

Sam hugged George hard. “Of course, Uncle George!” she tells her father’s best friend who offers his elbow.

“I made sure those troublemakers didn’t switch out the music on you. Leave it up to Teal’c and you’re liable to find yourself marching to the throne music from the end of Star Wars.”

Sam giggled. She wouldn’t have been mad but yah… “Thank you.” She tells him as Marge walks up to the minister to stand next to the girls.

“Ready?”

“Yes sir.” She says nervously.

George pats her hand reassuringly and they walk the short distance to Jack. Sam kisses Hammond’s cheek and looks shyly at Jack whose expression is both delighted at her choice of dress and reassuring that there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

Sam turned to the minister in her pale blue chiffon dress that skimmed her curves and flared softly around her. She’d worn her mother’s pearls and the sapphire and pearl earrings Jack had bought her as a wedding gift and no other jewels or adornment. Even her makeup was understated.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Samantha and Jonathan in holy matrimony. If anyone here should object, please do so now.”

“If anyone objects, I’m shooting them.” Walter said matter of factly. There was a rumble of chuckles from the small gathering of friends.

“I know a guy with a pig farm.” Siler said from next to him which made everyone erupt in full laughter.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur for the happy couple who couldn’t tell you what their vows were. Danny almost dropped the ring. Jack kissed Sam tenderly when he was told to. And then they were off to the Cheyenne Canyon Mesa that was tucked away on Seven Falls Road back in the woods. The wood pavilion was rustic and currently festooned with lilac flowers that matched the girls dusty purple dresses.

Sam couldn’t tell you how the food was though everyone agreed after that Hammond had outdone himself. Walter introduced them as General and future General which had made everyone crack up including Mark who had made it out with his wife and kids. Lisa and Grace were sitting on the corner of a table laughing about something. Jon had discreetly shown up at Jack’s invitation. He had a pretty blond with him who winked at Sam in amusement. Sam danced with everyone as did Jack even though at the end of the night he complained his knee was hurting and wanted Sam to sit with him. Sam knew what he was doing but let him get away with being protective for one night. She was tired.

They went home to Jack’s house for the night. They would go up to the cabin for a week and then she’d be moving to Nevada and him to DC. It was an odd way to start a marriage but not one that surprised either of them.


	48. Facing the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the small delay. Was having weird computer issues this morning.

Their ‘sort of’ honeymoon was peaceful and pleasant. They supposed they could have flown somewhere with a beach but Sam just wanted rest and alone time with Jack so the cabin it was. They came back a week later and Sam called Pete and asked him to meet her at the pond at Phillip Miller Park halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs. That way neither of them had to drive all the way.

Pete was already sitting on the solitary bench by the pond throwing bits of bread at the ducks when Sam sat down next to him.

“I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you again.” Pete tells her. There’s a note of bitterness in his voice and Sam can’t help but wince a little.

“Yah.” Sam sighs.

“So… what’s up? Saved the world and changed your mind?”

Sam shakes her head. They kind of had but… not. “I needed to talk to you about something.”

“Okay, so let’s talk.” He smiles.

Sam twines her fingers in her lap. Subconsciously she hides her left ring finger from view. “Pete… I’m pregnant.”

“What? Oh…well that’s great, isn’t it? I mean, isn’t it some kind of sign, don’t you think?”

“Pete… there’s only about a thirty percent chance the baby is yours…. I uh… just figured you had a right to know in case it was.”

“Wait… what are you saying Sam? Did you just jump in bed and have sex with some stranger the minute we broke up?”

“It wasn’t like that.” Sam snaps at him. “Before I started dating you… I… was seeing someone. Someone I was just supposed to have a casual relationship with but… well… I started to care about him… a lot more than I was supposed to. When I realized my feelings were… what they were… I ended things because I didn’t know his feelings had changed too. When I started dating you… he seemed happy for me. I… I thought it was because he didn’t care that way… I’d forgotten how self-sacrificing he is, didn’t ah… didn’t realize the only thing he cared about was that I was happy even if it broke his heart.”

Sam sighs. “After I called you, I went over to his house to apologize for hurting him. We were friends and I’d been pretty awful. We talked for a really long time and he told me that he’d had feelings for me for a really long time. That he’d let me go because he loved me and wanted me to be happy… and he thought it was because I’d figured out he had feelings for me and didn’t want that from him. We… we just meant to hug each other, a kiss to apologize… but dad was his good friend and we ended up needing comfort from each other.”

“So you had sex with your ex because your dad died. You could have done that with me, Sam.” Pete told her sourly.

Sam shook her head. “Pete, a lot of the reason I ended things with you had to do with me not being over him. It wasn’t fair to you, Pete. I care about you but I wasn’t in love with you. I didn’t even realize I was so entirely in love with him until you asked me to marry you and then I didn’t know what to do about it.”

“Great… so I’ve just been what… a rebound guy for you?” He sighs. “The offer still stands you know… I’d still marry you, especially for the kid. We could be good for each other, help you get over this guy for toying with your emotions and all.”

Sam frowns. “Pete… I… I can’t marry you.”

“Sure you can. It doesn’t need to be big or elaborate, all we need is a justice of the peace and a courthouse.”

Sam shakes her head. “Pete… I’m already married.”

“Wait… you weren’t ready to marry me but you jump right into a marriage with this guy? How does Grace’s father feel about all this?”

Sam sighed and shrugged. “He’s fine with it. Happy actually.”

“Don’t tell me you still have feelings for him too, Sam.” Pete said incredulously.

“Grace was conceived during a one night stand. We didn’t know each other and never would have, had we not ended up working on the same base.” Sam was dancing a fine line here. She didn’t want Pete to know the truth but she didn’t want to lie directly either.

“Sam… How soon can you find out paternity on this kid?”

She shrugged. “You have to be twenty weeks along but the procedure isn’t safe, it’s caused miscarriages. I’d really rather wait for after it’s born if you don’t mind.”

“All right, well, I guess let me know when the ultrasound and stuff are so I can be there if you need me.”

Sam shakes her head. “Pete, I don’t need that from you... it’s going to be a bit difficult anyway. I’m moving to Nevada.”

“Why the hell are you moving to Nevada?”

“I’ve been given a temporary reassignment so there wouldn’t be any action against us for being different ranks and working on the same base. We’d planned to file a join spouse after the assignment.”

Pete huffs. “Have you at least told this guy the kid might not be his?”

“Pete, that isn’t fair. I’ve always been honest with you and him too. I just didn’t ask the right questions and he can tend towards obfuscating. He knows the baby might be yours. He told me he’d love it either way and I believe him. Genetics has never been a criterion for him with kids. He’s loved Grace all along.”

“Oh, let me guess… you married that coworker that was always around. Probably scored points with the kid taking her over to her dad’s. I bet they are even buddies. You military types do tend to stick together.” Bitterness has crept back into his voice at the idea that Grace’s dad had picked who he wanted his baby mama to be with and that was that.

“I’m sorry, Pete. I know this is hard for you. If the paternity test comes back that you are the father I’ll make sure you sign the birth certificate if you want to, otherwise my husband will. If you want to be at the hospital for the birth, I’ll make sure you get clearance to do so as it will probably be on base.”

“Nah. I don’t need to be there. You have a husband for that.”

“Jack and I talked… if it is your child we’ll make sure you have equal custody and visitation. I’ll work with whatever schedule works for you to see them.” She plucks at the fabric of her skirt.

“So that’s it? You make me drive all the way out here to tell me this?” Pete demanded. “Knowing it made no difference to the situation because you’d already gotten married to Jack.”

Sam shakes her head. “I’m sorry you were expecting something different, Pete. I’ve hurt you both so much and there’s not anything I can do now to change that.”

“Got a time machine… wait... no. Don’t tell me, you probably do but can’t use it for personal stuff.” He says sarcastically as he gets up. “Take care of yourself, Sam. Tell Jack I said congratulations.” And he walked back to his car; muttering under his breath.

Sam sat on the bench for a few minutes looking at the ducks. She sighs and gets up to leave for her half hour drive home. She had packing to finish.


	49. And then there were none

“Last chance, kiddo. After today everything not going to Nevada is boxed up in my garage until you guys move back in a couple years.” Jack told Grace. She’d taken several things she needed to finish her year at school to Aunt Marge’s.

“I’m good.” She’d left out her American Dolls. Uncle T had somehow found a bald dark skinned doll and had painted his gold First Prime symbol on its head. Not to be out done Jack had a Daniel complete with glasses and floppy hair made too. Grace had a whole SG-1 team now. Lisa had pronounced it the nerdiest thing ever then begged her dad for an Uncle Jack doll too.

“Those going to my house or with you?” Jack asked her gently of the dolls lined up on the couch.

Grace looked at them thoughtfully. They might be gone two years and dad might be gone even longer working in DC. He was trying to decentralize his position or at least get it moved to Peterson where it made more sense for him to be but currently none of the Joint Chiefs seemed to be on board. Not with him able to easily go home to see his family on the weekends. “I think I’ll take them with me to Auntie Marge’s. I can always have Uncle T take them back to the house and put them in my room there if I get tired of them.” Marge had made them a variety of uniforms and even little Class As for her mom and dad dolls. Plus she might not see her dad much for the next few months. She didn’t remember a time when she didn’t see her dad a couple times a week and she was going to miss him more than she’d admit. She only had the vaguest recollections of the half a year her dad was gone when she was little.

“School will be over before you know it.” Jack assures his sighing daughter.

“I know that but then I’ll miss Auntie Marge and Uncle Danny and Uncle T instead of you and mom.”

Jack chuckled. “Hey. Your granddad said something to me before he passed. We don’t expect you to take care of the baby.”

Grace looked at him with startled hazel blue eyes. “What? Oh… no I only said that because the idea of mom having a baby with Pete was gross. Plus he totally would have made me do a bunch of the work.”

“He really was a yutz.”

“You have _no_ idea dad.” Grace giggled and she hugged him. “I’m really glad you and mom finally figured it out.”

“I am too, kiddo. I love your mom you know.”

“Yah… I know.”

“She’s a little worried the baby might be Pete’s.” He told her. They were the only ones in Sam’s house. Teal’c and Danny had taken Grace’s boxes of things to Marge’s house where Sam was unpacking Grace’s things as they came in the room. They would come back for Grace when they had everything in the house and more or less unpacked.

“Which means I have to put up with stinky Pete showing up now and again.” Grace moaned dramatically.

Jack smirked. “Yah. I’ll try to run interference for you on the guy but I’m asking you to draw on that legendary O’Neill fortitude in the face of annoying relatives to suck it up.”

“He’s not _my_ relative, dad.”

“Yah… not mine either. Still gonna suck it up.”

“When will mom know?”

“If she did the amniocentesis we could do it in about fourteen weeks or so but they aren’t always safe so we’re going to wait until the baby is born to have it tested.”

“Ugh. Can’t we just lie?”

“You are your mother’s child.” Jack said chuckling.

“Well duhh…” Grace rolled her eyes.

Jack grinned. “No, we can’t just lie little miss morally ambiguous and you are ten, you shouldn’t be this jaded yet. It’s unnatural.”

“Dad, I have an IQ of one hundred fifty[1]. I’m already unnatural. Besides mom graduated high school at sixteen.”

Jack bobs his head in a nod. “I wasn’t any slouch in school either.” He admits.

“Neerrrddd…” Grace says laughing.

“Where do you get all this brattiness from?” Jack asks her as he puts her in a light headlock and gives her a noogie.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Grace squeals laughing and trying unsuccessfully to get away.

Sam walks in on her husband and daughter horsing around. “Did either of you accomplish anything or is this how things have been since Teal’c and Daniel left?”

Grace and Jack both look guilty.

“Uh….”

“We did things.”

“Sure you did.” Sam tells them laughing. “You ready to go to Auntie Marge’s, kiddo?”

“I’ll miss this place.” Grace admits.

“I will too.” Jack said with a fond and sad smile.

* * *

They are standing in the tiny living area of Marge’s bungalow. “We’ll call you before we get on the road and when we hit a hotel, okay?” Sam asks Grace.

“I know. I’ll be all right mom.”

“Mind your aunt and don’t give her any more trouble than your mother has,” Jack tells her only to get elbowed by Sam.

“Yes dad.” Grace says laughing.

Sam hugs Grace. “I’m gonna miss you so much.” She says tightening the hug.

“I’ll miss you too.”

“Call us if you need anything. If they give you the run around about finding me in DC you just channel your grandpa ok?” Jack says to her as he hugs her tightly next. “I’m gonna miss you.” Jack swept Grace off her feet in his hug.

“Dad you’re squishing me.” Grace chokes out dramatically.

They all chuckle and none of them has a dry eye.

A few minutes later, Grace stands on the little porch watching her dad’s truck pull away. She sighs when the truck is out of sight and goes inside.

You all right doll?” Marge asks her.

“Yah.” She sighs.

“Want some Ben & Jerry’s?”

“Oh yah.”

Marge chuckles and opens the freezer. “Chunky Monkey or Blueberry?”

“Both?”

“Absolutely Doll.”

“Hey Auntie Marge?”

“Yah?” She said as she handed Grace a carton and opened the other.

“Do we know Jon’s girlfriend? She looked really familiar for some reason.”

“I never even got her name. She seemed shy but nice.”

“Huh.” Grace said and dug her spoon into the chocolaty banana deliciousness that was Chunky Monkey.

[1] <https://www.hellomotherhood.com/what-is-a-high-iq-for-a-child-5704783.html> \- Grace is unusually high but she’s in a special school for children like her and Sam graduated high school at 15? 16?


	50. New to us

The house wasn’t big but they didn’t really need anything huge. It had three bedrooms and a small office near the front door downstairs. Someone had renovated it recently so instead of looking dated it looked very cookie cutter. Jack determinedly painted a soft yellow over the brown and red the original house had been painted. He couldn’t do anything about the dark kitchen but he could brighten the place up with yellow and grassy green for the girls. The moving company would be by tomorrow so they had slept on an air mattress last night. Making love on the slightly underfilled mattress had involved a lot of giggling on both their parts.

Sam came back from the grocery store to a paint smattered Jack. She chuckled. “You look like you’ve had fun.” She says to him but the downstairs looks much better without all the dark walls. Even the kitchen seemed less oppressive in spite of the dark cabinetry and brown granite counters. “Did you get that hideous Laura Ashley wallpaper off the walls in our bedroom yet?”

“Can’t I just paint it?” Jack asked her hopefully.

“No.”

“It’s very red.”

“Yah it is. And I was gonna leave it up but at least one of those flowers looks exactly like a penis so it needs to go.”

Jack laughed. Penis wallpaper. He hadn’t looked that closely. “I thought the birds on it were the problem.”

“That too.” She said putting the paper bags on the counter. “I need to find my reusable bags. I had to fight with the clerk about not getting plastic.”

Jack set the roller in the pan and walked over to Sam. She backed away. He looked down at himself and realized why. His faded baggy jeans were a mish mash of white and yellow and green. But the baseboards were all bright white again instead of an odd shade of red and the walls were yellow in the great room and a happy shade of green in her office and the downstairs bathroom. He’d stripped his shirt off earlier and his chest had a few blotches as well as did his arms.

“You smell and are covered in paint.” She warned him.

“You have never once complained that I smelled when I was sweaty.” He reminded her.

“I have never until now been pregnant around you when you have been this sweaty.” She reminded him.

He smiled softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good, the nausea seems to be letting up. I think I’m showing earlier, too.”

Jack nods. “I’ll go take a shower.” He looks her up and down. “Want to join me?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“That depends… are we just showering?”

“Carter… I can’t get you more pregnant you know.”

Sam snorts out a laugh. “Okay, good point.” She puts a couple more things in the fridge and walks to the stairs pulling her shirt off over her head as she goes, exposing him to her lean muscular back.

“Oh woman.” Jack breaths and is almost instantly hard as a rock. He follows the tinkling laughter of his wife as he passes her shorts laying on the floor and then her panties and bra.

* * *

“You call me if you need me all right?” Jack admonished her.

“Jack, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you every night after I get home and I’ll see you this weekend.” Sam told him and kissed his cheek.

“Wish Hammond had given me my doohickey already. I could just beam back and forth.”

“You need the blow up mattress anyway until your stuff gets to the apartment in DC.” She reminded him.

“Yah but I could have carried it under my arm.”

Sam laughed. “Oh sure, that would look great, you showing up onboard the ship in your Class As with a purple blow up mattress and a set of sheets under your arm. Very professional, sir.” She said to him still chuckling.

“Stop that.” He admonished her.

“I can’t help it, you’re in uniform, it’s automatic.” She said giggling.

“If I had time I’d do some very non regulation things to you on that counter.” He growled as he captured her mouth.

“Ohh…. Save it for our phone call tonight. I want to hear what you have in mind… in detail.”

“Aren’t you tired yet? We had sex three times yesterday.” He whined.

“I won’t see you all week Jack. I have to store up.”

“Good lord, were you this horny last time?”

“Yup.”

“Shame I didn’t know about it.”

“Indeed.” Sam says to him in her best impression of Teal’c.

“I’ll start on the kid’s rooms this weekend.” He promises. “Grace wants pink, right?”

“Teal!” She reminds him knowing he’s teasing.

“Crud, the kid from motor pool is here.” Jack tells her as he catches a car pulling into their driveway from the corner of his eye.

“Go… before you have to write me up on sexual misconduct charges.” She tells Jack. He gives her a swift kiss, picks up the canvas bag the bed is in and heads out the door.

After he leaves Sam goes to the kitchen and pulls a banana off the hook and makes a bowl of yogurt. She cuts up the banana and tosses Cheerios on top. It wasn’t her favorite breakfast but she was tired of eggs and spinach. At least avocados were cheap in Nevada. “At least you like food and not junk. All Grace wanted was Froot Loops.” She pats her belly. She was showing, but only a very little bit. Probably just her body knowing what to do this time around.

“You couldn’t wait to be conceived a couple weeks so I don’t spend the next six months wondering whose kid you are? Better not be setting a pattern kid or we are going to have words.”

* * *

At one am, Sam woke up with a ravenous craving for fried fish and children’s cereal. “Okay... okay… you made your point. I’m still going to worry.” She told her belly. She didn’t have any fried fish but she did have some canned clam chowder soup Jack liked and ate a bowl of it. It was horrible... and she wanted more of it. “Oh no you don’t. One bowl. That’s it.” She admonished the growing child inside her.

After she ate, she grabbed the book she’d left on her coffee table and went out to the Florida room, switched on a lamp and sat down on the papasan chair to read. But instead she stared out at the stars and wondered how Daniel and Teal’c were doing. Teal’c had obligations to the Free Jaffa and Daniel had made arrangements to go to Atlantis as soon as he finished up the project he was on.

She rubbed her belly absently and started singing Twinkle Twinkle softly.


	51. Wedded bliss

Sam looked fondly at the large framed family photo from the wedding over her couch. The photographer had called anyone who was family to the bride and groom to step up to be photographed with the wedding party. They had urged George over to stand between Jack and Sam. While Mark, Kim and the kids moved to stand with Sam, Teal’c got down on one knee for Grace to perch on while Jack fetched Jon. Jon had shaken his head slightly but Jack had effectively ordered him to come stand on his side and bring his girlfriend who was trying very hard to hang back and not be noticed. Jack had given her a pointed remark and she’d dutifully walked over to Daniel’s side and stood between Daniel and Jon, out of Mark’s view. Lisa had asked later why she looked so familiar and Jack and Sam had both given her blank looks and shrugs. Later, they laughed hysterically as Jack told her later how that conversation had gone.

“Come on, kid, time to pretend we’re normal.”

“Right because that’s a thing.”

“Keep it up and I’ll tell your TO to give you KP duty.”

“You’re a real jerk, old man.” Jon had groused making his date bite her lip and giggle.

“You too, Shorty.” Jack said to Jon’s date.

“I am not short!” She had huffed at him.

Jack looked from her to Sam. “So far you are. Did Thor mess up? Shorty?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“If you stand between Jon and Danny he won’t see you. Now come on. You’re family too unless you changed your mind about marrying this idiot.” He grinned darkly. “If that’s the case you can go stand by Carter and explain things to Mark.”

“Like hell.” She’d muttered marching up to the wedding party.

Sam started to giggle just thinking about it.

* * *

It had been a lonely three months without her daughter, Auntie Marge, Daniel and Teal’c. Jack had come by nearly every weekend except the one when he’d gone to Colorado for Grace’s birthday. Sam had been unable to get away but she’d called her that morning to wish her a happy birthday. Grace was starting that moody stage Cassie had gone through and Sam dearly wished Janet were still around to help her navigate this nonsense.

Marge and Daniel were driving out this weekend with a box truck full of Grace’s things. She had several gifts from friends and a computer from Daniel not to mention the stuff Mark and Kim had left at Marge’s for Grace after the wedding.

* * *

Jack managed to sneak out of DC a couple days early so he could go to Sam’s ultrasound. And then he’d seduced his wife on the counter still in his class As. He had to admit, there were definite upsides to this married thing. He didn’t have to sneak around to have sex with Sam, for instance.

“We should probably get cleaned up. Auntie Marge and Daniel will be here any minute… and you smell like sex, General.” Sam chuckled.

“You’re one to talk.” Jack told her as he nuzzled her neck. “We should tag team the shower though just in case. With our luck, Grace’s first introduction to her parents being married to each other would be seeing them having sex in the shower.”

Sam snorted. “We’ll need to be a bit more discreet now with all of us living together.”

“I said I’d wipe the counter.” He grumbles and helps her down. His hand strays to her belly for a moment. She’s had to switch to a larger pant size to accommodate her growing belly. He honestly doesn’t care if the kid is Pete’s or not. He cares that it’s healthy and has all his or her fingers and toes. If the Shrub stepped up as a dad that was fine. If he tried to use the baby as a pawn, Jack was very adept at chess himself. And he didn’t tolerate people using kids to control their ex.

Sam gives him an enquiring look.

“Shower.” Is all he says.

* * *

Grace looked up at her new home. It was mission style with a tile roof, a pair of arches on the porch and a stepped back upper floor. She knew she’d been born in DC but she didn’t remember any home but the Colorado Springs bungalow and she supposed Aunt Margie’s duplex and dad’s craftsman, too. But this was the first time she remembered moving. Ever. Indian Springs didn’t have a school for the gifted so she’d be going to junior high instead. It was a good thing she was pretty tall thanks to her parents. But she’d still have to deal with kids older than her that still didn’t get it. Of course those same kids didn’t have a grandfather with a symbiotic alien or a cousin who was actually a clone of her dad. Uncle Mike had died of crib death when dad was little. Not that dad knew she knew that. She was pretty good at discreetly snooping when motivated.

“Ready to start a new chapter in your life, doll?” Marge asked her tall great niece.

“My hair is already sticking to my neck.” Grace complained.

“Yah, better get used to ponytails.” Daniel suggested.

“You first.” Grace mutters as she walks to the front door that is opens to her mother and father coming out with happy smiles for her. Well, at least they missed me. She decides. And mom looks way pregnant now.

“Hey kiddo, how was the drive?” Dad asks her.

“Uncle Danny snores.” Grace tells him and gives him a big hug. “And he’s bad at showering when he thinks no one will see him.”

Jack snorts on a laugh. “Yah… I could have probably warned you about that.”

“Wonders why no one will date him.” Sam mutters from behind Jack which makes Jack chuckle.

“Come on in guys. Have lunch and then Danny and I can hump your stuff upstairs, kiddo.” Jack says as he drapes an arm over his daughter’s shoulder. “I know it’s a lot of changes but I promise your mom and I will do everything to make it go as easy as possible.”

“Whatever.” Grace said with a shrug.

Sam and Jack exchanged a look. Cassie round two.

* * *

Sam was already making faces at waiting for the ultrasound tech to get into the exam room. The Air Force had a fully staffed private military hospital on the Groom Lake compound. Jack had basically pulled rank so Grace could see her little brother or sister. Not that she seemed to appreciate it. She had her nose in a book and was ignoring them.

Jack cut his eyes to Sam who shrugged but shifted impatiently.

“General, Colonel. Sorry about the wait. I’ll need you to raise your shirt and lower your pants please.” She says to Sam.

Sam blows her bangs out of her eyes and complies. Grace ignores them, her nose still in a book. It’s not an Anthony novel this time. Sam notes its Heinlein. “Jack?”

Jack shrugs. “At the level she reads there’s really no point Sam.”

Sam looks thoughtful. “You might have a point.” She agrees while the tech sets up the ultrasound equipment.

“All right, let’s see what we have here.” She hums absently. “There’s the head… and the heartbeat.”

Jack curls his fingers around Sam’s when he hears the loud swishing of a healthy fetal heartbeat. His heart swells. He’s fairly certain the baby is his anyway by Sam’s description of things and he’d spent so many years peripherally aware of her cycle that he wasn’t worried about it though he knew she still was.

The main reason Jack wasn’t worried about it was as far as he was concerned, this was his child. He’d share with Pete if need be but… he remembered something Janet had once told Sam. That she might have fertility difficulties after Jolinar. Sam had cried in his lap and he’d reminded her she still had Grace and difficulties didn’t mean infertility, just that she might need to try more. Jack’s unusual genetics… might be the reason she got pregnant right away. He looked up at the monitor and smiled.

“So do you want to know the gender?” The tech asked them.

Jack looked at Sam who was notably bright eyed. “Want to put it to a vote?” He grinned.

She laughed a little. “The room is already yellow, Jack.”

“Yes, but is it a boy duck or a girl duck.” He said reasonably. “Grace, what’s your vote?”

“Huh? Okay… I don’t know. Mathematically, it’s probably a boy.” She says with an absent shrug.

“Okay, that’s one vote for a boy. What say you Carter?”

Sam thinks for a bit. “She’s probably right. It’s mathematically likely to be a boy.”

Jack nods. “That settles it.” He grins and waves his hand. If it’s a boy he’s positive it’s his child. Sara had a bunch of baby books when she was pregnant and one of the things he remembered was how pH effected fertility and the further from ovulation you were at the beginning the more likely it was a girl. Mid to late ovulation usually got you a boy. “I’ll throw my hat in that it’s another girl just for verity.”

“All right, let’s see what we have.” The tech said and prodded Sam’s belly a bit because the baby had rolled over and gone to sleep. They had a good chuckle that he or she was being stubborn.

Jack pointed out that was an issue on both sides which got him a chuckle from Sam and the tech. Grace was reading with a sullen look on her face. He looked at her thoughtfully. They needed to have a talk.

“All right, guys… it looks like… yup. Congratulations, General, you have a son.” She grinned.

Jack grinned back. Sam bit her lip with worry and Grace raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Are we… um… are we done now because if we are… I’m just gonna…”

“Yup, we are done.”

“Bathroom is down the hall on the right Carter.” Jack says with amusement.

Grace finally giggles at that. Jack smirks. At least she is still her snarky self.


	52. Like a Rock

Grace had gone to her room. Jack was sitting on the couch with a beer. Sam was cuddled on his shoulder. “Okay, out with it.” He finally said and paused the DVD he’d been watching.

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She said. Her voice soft and edged with sadness.

“Samantha…” He said slowly. “What is the worst thing you are imagining about this because I know how you over think everything.” He tilts her head towards his. “Hey… We talked about this. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Sam sighed. “It does to me though Jack. What if this isn’t your baby? It will matter to me.” Because if it’s not your baby then it’s another man’s son not yours I’ve given you.

“Are you going to leave me if it’s not my baby, Sam?”

“No!” She looked horrified. “God no, Jack.”

“Okay.” He grinned at her and kissed her gently. “So what’s the problem?”

“Why are you being so calm?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“What?”

“Sam… My Samantha… I waited for you for a reason. Because I love you. Always. That means no matter what, Sam. I mean, short of you drowning the kids in the bathtub and really, as moody as Grace is being, I might be able to let that one slide.”

Sam snorted softly. “What’s with that anyway?”

“My guess is puberty. Cassie got really moody too. The only reason you don’t remember being that way was because you had way more important stuff going on. My mom was ready to strangle me when I was twelve.” He slid his hand into her hair. “Sam… I don’t know how to soothe how worried you are about this. I’ve never been great at words. I’m more a lame jokes kind of guy. You know that though. I guess what I’m trying to say, Sam, is if dealing with Pete is what’s bugging you I get that, but you don’t need to worry about me.” He put a hand on her belly. “I already love this baby. I don’t care if I made him or not.”

Sam sniffled, buried her head in his shoulder and cried softly. “I’m so sorry, Jack.”

“Don’t be. Don’t ever be sorry for this. This is what led you to finally realizing you really do love me back that much. I don’t regret it one bit.” He kissed her temple. “And you shouldn’t either.”

Sam sighs and puts her head back down. An hour later she’s asleep and Jack gets up to hit the head. On his way back, he pokes his head in his daughter’s teal and white room. She’s sitting at her drafting board that Jack had used a biscuit joiner to add a side piece she could attach a tray for her tools to. She smiles. She’s drawing family members.

She’s a good artist. Probably better than he ever was really. He needs to get his pottery wheel out of the basement of the house in Colorado so he can work a little on the weekends or encourage her to try another way to express herself. He watches her patiently shade a drawing of Teal’c. She’s managed to catch his habit of looking amused with hardly any change to his expression.

“Settled in?” He asks her softly, making sure he doesn’t startle the girl. Like her mother she could be jumpy when engrossed.

“Yah.” She says with a sigh.

Uh oh. Jack walks in and sits on her bed. The bedspread is white with large teal and grey poppies. It’s sophisticated and understated and a bit adult for an eleven year old but Grace was an odd juxtaposition of nearly adult thinking and tastes combined with a wholly childlike desire to enjoy herself playing. “I’ll check on Marge next or Daniel as they are down the road at the motel…” He teases her.

“Mom is still worried about the baby being Pete’s.”

“Yah. Not that I can blame her. The math doesn’t work and she knows that but it’s your mom. Until she has the answer, she’s going to worry.”

Grace huffs a sigh. “I don’t know why she doesn’t just use one of the Lantian genetics testers from work.” She gets up from her stool and grabs the can of Copic markers off her desk.

Jack looks at her funny. Dammit Jacob, how much did you tell this kid? “Lantian?”

“Uh huh. Grandpa Jake checked me when I was really little. He said if I was then I was very special.”

Jack looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. It did no good to tell her or her mother that her dad had run a Tok’ra paternity test on his daughter. “I don’t see how that would help.”

Grace huffs. “Microchimerism.”

“Microwhatchamisim?” Jack says, screwing up his face in confusion.

Grace huffs out a sigh. “Daaadd… come on, I don’t need to explain this to you. The baby’s cells transfer to mom’s blood. If he’s your kid, mom should be able to work a Lantian doohickey until she stops breast feeding.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Because most of the cells lodge in breast tissue to trigger lactation. When you stop breast feeding, your breast tissue changes back to normal and the invasive cells are reabsorbed.”

“What on earth has your mom been letting you read?”

“Auntie Marge actually. That reminds me, I need a library card.”

Jack chuckles. “Next weekend. I promise.”

“Mom isn’t going to have any time for me.”

“That’s not true, Grace. She works long hours but she always makes time for you.”

“Babies take a lot of time dad. Like… a loootttt of time.”

“Yup which is why your mom is looking into a daycare so you don’t have to watch your baby brother all afternoon until she gets home. She’ll probably just use the base daycare though.”

Grace comes over and flops on her bed next to her dad.

“All right… spill it.”

Grace sighs dramatically. “It’s not anything like I thought it would be.”

“What isn’t?” Jack was pretty sure he knew though.

Grace waves her arm dramatically to indicate all encompassing. “I always thought…” she sighs.

“That you guys would move into my house with me and still live in Colorado?”

“Yah…. I guess.”

Jack twined his fingers around one of her wheat colored curls. “Sometimes, kiddo, life doesn’t turn out the way you expect it to.” He looks at her. She’s gotten too tall and was very pretty. “I thought sure your granddad would walk your mom down the aisle.” He shrugs. “Your mom asked me what about us if things had been different. I said I wouldn’t be at the SGC and she didn’t realize I’d have retired for her years ago if she’d just asked.” He pats her hair affectionately. “This isn’t bad, Catherine Grace, it’s just different than we thought it would be.”

“You haven’t called me my full name in years, dad.”

“You haven’t called me Uncle Jack in years.” He pointed out. “Did you figure out I was your dad because of what Grandpa Jake did?”

Grace bites her lip and looks amused.

“Go ahead and laugh. You won’t be laughing doing pushups in basic.”

Grace giggled. “It’s free tuition.”

“That’s how I ended up there.” He agreed. No need to tell her it had been that or a jail sentence for joy riding other people’s hot rods. She’d get ideas. “You know your idea isn’t a guaranteed positive. I might not pass on the gene every time.”

“No but if it works mom will quit crying herself to sleep when you aren’t here.”

“When has…”

“I know what mom looks like when she’s been crying. She’s not good at hiding it.”

“Hopefully with you here she’ll do that a little less.” Jack said.

Grace shrugged. “I think that’s just going to be a thing until she knows for sure.”

Jack leans over and kisses the top of her head. “Don’t stay up too late.”

Grace makes a rude noise with her lips and teeth. “Whatever.”

Jack laughs. Oh yah, no drama with this one.


	53. Apples to Apples

“Miss Carter, you won’t make friends by coming to the library every lunch period.”

“O’Neill.”

“Pardon?” The elderly librarian who wore her graying hair in a bun on top of her head said.

“It’s O’Neill.” Grace said with a disgusted eyeroll. “My last name is O’Neill.”

“Your transcript says otherwise, young lady.”

Grace’s jaw set mutinously. “My paperwork will change literally days from now.”

“And when your stepdad adopting you goes through I’ll be happy to call you Miss O’Neill. Miss Carter.”

“He’s not my stepdad.” Grace glared “He’s my dad.”

“Well that’s nice that you have a good relationship with him. Having a stepparent is often difficult.”

“Did I stutter? He’s my dad… as in my biological father. You do know how babies are made, Mrs. Godbout? Because there’s a book on that in the science section.”

“That’s enough, young lady. Go to the principal’s office right now.”

“For someone who works in a library you aren’t very smart.”

“NOW, Miss Carter!”

“Oh, fer cryin out loud! Whatever.” Grace said and rolled her eyes as she walked out knowing the librarian would call the office. She pondered ditching. It wasn’t like any of the classes she was taking were even challenging her. The mandatory ones were a joke and even the AP eighth grade classes weren’t challenging her at all but the district had not allowed her to go to high school due to her age.

She went to the principal’s office only because she figured her dad would lecture her if she didn’t.

When she got there, the secretary looked at her in surprise. “Are you feeling all right, Grace?”

“Oh I’m fine. Mrs. Godbout probably isn’t feeling great.”

“Uh oh. What happened?”

“She kept calling me Miss Carter and when I corrected her she argued with me about my dad.” Grace huffed a sigh. She actually liked the secretary. She was sweet and had a kind and genuine smile like her mom does. “Anyway when she clearly didn’t get it I asked her if she knew how reproductive organs work.”

Miss Hayes suppressed an amused smile. “Let me guess how that conversation turned out.”

Grace grinned conspiratorially.

“A bit of advice, Goldilocks. Mrs. Godbout is old and cranky. Just flip her off behind her back like I do.” Miss Hayes then put a finger to her lips and winked slyly as she waved Grace to one of the seats to wait for the principal.

Of course with typical Carter luck, instead of Dr. Hartell, the reasonable and nice principal, she got Mrs. Snerstine, the much despised vice principal. Oh swell. She thought dryly.

“Miss Carter… Mrs. Godbout sent you down here for speaking disrespectfully to her.”

Grace leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. “Just give me my detention slip and get it over with.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Look, I’ve only been here a couple weeks but I know how this works. Just give me my detention slip so I can go to shop class.” Which is literally the only class I’m enjoying she muses. Well, and art except her art teacher forced her to make the stuff she wanted instead of stuff Grace actually wanted to make.

The slender dark haired woman narrowed her eyes at Grace. “Who exactly do you think you are, Miss Carter?”

“Well, for starters, I’m Miss O’Neill.” Grace told her sarcastically. “Which is what started this. My paperwork is going to change any day now and my dad has been in my life since I was little. The least you guys could do is respect my decision to take my dad’s name now that my parents are married.”

“That is enough. I’m calling your mother.”

“Oh no… you’re calling my moommm… why don’t you call my dad too? I’m pretty sure he’d actually rather deal with you than be in a meeting with someone from Congress. Which isn’t saying much. Have you met those people? Buncha snake heads.”

“I might.” She threatens.

“Do it.” Grace says leaning forward and staring the woman down.

“Go sit in the lounge, young lady.” Snerstine orders her out.

“Yah sure you betcha…” Grace sing songs on her way out the door.

* * *

They drive home in silence, both glaring out a window. Finally Sam speaks. “I had to leave a classified meeting to handle this, Grace. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I hate my school.”

“You haven’t given it a chance.”

“Yes I have. I walked in first day, figured okay the kids are going to be a little immature compared to what I’m used to but so are you and dad so no big deal I’ll just avoid confrontation with them. So _instead_ … supposed grown adults are giving me crap for grasping that I’m going to be ignored at best in lunch or bullied. So I went to the library and this idiot who has no business with a librarian degree starts arguing with me about my last name when all I did was say I’d appreciate it if she called me by dad’s name if she was going to insist on using my last name since the paperwork should be approved in a couple days anyway.”

“That’s not the point, Grace. You aren’t an adult.” And how did you manage to make that all one sentence? Sheesh Sam thinks.

“So what? Why is everyone so fixated on my age? I hate that school. My classmates look at me like I’m a freak. I try to at least talk to the teachers and they talk to me like I’m some kind of problem. The shop teacher and my history teacher are the only ones who don’t act like I’m some kind of freak or science experiment. The rest of them think I’m some kind of joke or spoiled brat.”

“What—“ Sam grunted uncomfortably. “—exactly do you expect me to do, Grace? There’s not another school for miles. The only other solution is for you to move to DC with your dad until my assignment is done.”

“Why did you even take this job? Once dad took the job in DC you didn’t have to switch assignments.” Grace demanded.

“I’d already signed the paperwork, Grace. You can’t just tell the government - Oh, I changed my mind, can I have my other job back? It’s only a couple years, Grace. Just suck it up.” She grunted again, uncomfortably. “Your little brother doesn’t appreciate this.”

“Oh well good for him.” Grace said dryly.

“Catherine Grace O’Neill!” Sam said sharply to her.

“The first adult to get my name right ALL DAY!” Grace snarls.

“All right. That’s enough of that attitude, young lady! This has been a big adjustment for all of us and I don’t appreciate you acting like you are the only one with problems!”

“At least I didn’t MAKE my problems.”

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” They were now shouting at each other in the car. Sam pulled up in front of the house and slammed her car door then winced and rubbed her stomach.

“Oh like you don’t know?! You drag me off to this devil’s butthole hot state away from my friends and family, we only live with dad on weekends and the rest of the time all you do is work then come home and pretend everything is perfectly normal which was fine until I found out my teachers are jerks, my classmates are shallow idiots and the vice principal is evil not to mention the only two classes that are even remotely interesting aren’t even academic ones!”

“Everything IS fine! You are so ungrateful. You finally get what you wanted for years and now you’re mad that things changed because of it? What was I supposed to do? Lose my commission so I could shack up with your dad!?”

“You may as well have! It’s not like you guys weren’t sleeping together anyway!”

“You just earned yourself a grounding!”

“Good!”

“Fine!”

Grace stormed into the house, past her mother to her room.

“You can just forget about going to the library this weekend, young lady!” Sam shouted up the stairs.

“So I got a call from the school…” A warm male voice said to Sam.

Sam snarled something that sounded like ‘just great’ to Jack but said nothing else as she stomped into her office to try to do some work as she’d not be going back to her lab now.

“Okey dokey…” Jack huffed and scratched the back of his neck. Puberty and a pregnant wife were clearly not a stable chemical mix. So Jack did the only thing he could think of since he was here anyway. Whistling he walked into the kitchen and turned on the oven, then started getting out what he needed.

Flour, walnuts, cocoa powder, chocolate chips… Jack hummed happily while he creamed the butter, sugar and vanilla together with the baking powder and soda and a dash of cinnamon/nutmeg mix. It wasn’t the way the book said but his grandma had always made them this way and grandma made better cookies than anyone but Sam. When he’d figured out she was the magical bakery the cookies came from he’d showered her with appreciation. She’d walked funny for a couple days and hadn’t been able to stop smiling either.

This seemed like a ‘lots of attention needed’ thing so he made the scoops of dough a little large and checked the freezer for vanilla ice cream. Excellent.

When the first batch was done, Jack put them on the stove then he put the second batch in.

His first customer was a sullen pregnant wife who sat at the island and silently ate a cookie without looking at him.

A few moments later, an equally sullen Grace slunk down the stairs and tried to silently snag a cookie when her mother wasn’t watching. Jack put a glass of milk in front of her and motioned her to sit. He switched out another batch and leaned against the counter. “All right you.” He points at Grace. “What happened?”

Sam starts to open her mouth but Jack makes a cut motion. ‘Her first’ his eyes warn his wife who scowls at him.

Grace shrugs. “Mrs. Godbout is a dumbass.”

“Ah!” He put up a finger. “Without the language.”

Grace huffed. “Fine. I told her not to call me Miss Carter, that in a week it’s going to be O’Neill and I’d prefer to be called that and okay, I was a little rude probably but it’s not that hard to call people what they want to be called. No one struggles with the idea that I go by my middle name. So that’s what I got in trouble for. She got all ‘oh it’s so nice you get along with your stepdad’ and when I tried to explain you’re my bio dad she argued like I don’t know so I told her there’s a book on reproduction in the science section.” Grace huffed.

Jack looked down but cut his eyes to Sam. He noted she was biting her lip trying not to chuckle. “All right, so what happened with you and the vice principal who… don’t assume I’m on her side. That woman needs a personality transplant…” he mumbled. “A snake would be an improvement.”

Sam snorted but still refused to meet his eyes.

It was a start, he supposed. He decided he’d have a little visit with some of these fine educators tomorrow. Grace didn’t need rescuing but adults shouldn’t pick on kids and if he needed to remind some of them he employed the parents of most of their students they might think twice the next time they bullied a kid. He made a rolling motion to Grace.

‘So then Mrs. Snerstine acted the same way and I just couldn’t take it anymore, dad. The only classes that aren’t a total waste of my time aren’t even academic ones. It’s bad enough the kids think I’m a freak but the adults are just jerks and I’m not learning anything except in shop class.” She huffed. “And the boys already hate me for being better at it.”

“In your defense you come by that completely naturally.” Jack looks thoughtful. “Sam, did you ever look into the community college?”

“They said she’s too young for credit courses. I don’t see what good it does to send her if she just has to take them again in a couple years. The cut off is twelve.”

Jack thought while he scooped out ice cream and added cookies to each bowl. He snaps his fingers and dials a number on his cell phone. “You know the regs better than me on this one. Does remote learning apply to family members too or just to GIs?” He paused for a while. “Okay, great, can you get me the paperwork? My secretary is terrified of me.” Jack laughs at something the other person says. “Thanks again. I owe yah.” He clicks off his phone. “I owe Walter a bottle of scotch.” He grins. “Grace, you can take remote classes at Cassie’s school as soon as it’s drawn up. The university doesn’t have an age requirement the way the community college does. I looked into it before I left.”

“You used a computer?” Sam asked him incredulously.

“I know _how,_ Carter.” He gives her a boyish grin. “I’m just slow at it. Half my classes were before we had ‘em, and the other half when I was in the field or when I was retired. I wasn’t exactly in a hurry.”

Sam gives him a dry look.

Jack just shrugs and grins at her again then gets himself a beer. “You’re still grounded for mouthing off to your mom like that. Next time talk to me Kiddo, instead of blowing up at your mom. Pregnancy isn’t exactly easy on the body and she’s got enough going on.”

“Yes sir.” Grace says contritely.

“Eat your ice cream.” He tells them both as he picks up a cookie and leans back against the other counter.

* * *

“I didn’t figure you would stay the night.” Sam told him while she brushed her teeth.

“Yah… well… I was already here.” He shrugs. He gets out a fresh razor and Sam thinks he’s replacing the head but instead he takes her hand and nicks her finger.

“What was that for?” She demands.

“Testing a bright idea.” He mumbles. When blood wells up on her finger, he dabs it onto something in his hand that he’s being careful not to touch. It’s wrapped in plastic.

Sam looks. “Jack, how did you?!”

“Hush, I stole it from your lab. I’ll put it back tomorrow.” He watches the small egg shaped device intently. Slowly it started to glow. “Ah. There we go. Now you can stop worrying about that.”

“Jack, that’s a Lantian puddle jumper call device.”

“Yup.”

“It lit up from my blood.”

“Yup.”

“But I’m not…”

“Nope… but that guy is.” Jack says and points to her stomach. “Grace called it… what was it? A micro chimera.”

“A what?”

“You know… a mini changeling. When you’re pregnant, the baby transfers cells to your body so it knows when it’s time to lactate. I wasn’t sure if there was enough if you just touched it but your blood should have had enough if it was my kid.”

“Jack, that’s… that’s brilliant.”

“Yah, well, she probably got the idea from Cassie. She’s taking this stuff.”

Sam nodded.

“Carter…. Let her take whatever she wants. Classes and stuff. She’s a smart kid. She’s acting out because she’s bored.” He’d done the same thing. He hadn’t embraced high school but he’d been so bored. Nothing he took challenged him and he’d been something of a dork so he’d played hockey and read comic books and learned how to hotwire cars instead of socializing.

“I know but I can’t have her smarting off to the teachers. I’ll be over there _all_ the time.”

“Nah. She’s suspended tomorrow anyway. I’ll go talk to the librarian in particular about her comments. She has a right to be called what she wants.”

“You’re really enjoying her wanting to be an O’Neill, aren’t you?”

“She always was one anyway, Carter. Why fight it?”

Sam chuckles. “Please tell me this openly defiant thing only lasts a couple years.”

Jack gives her a long look.

“Right.”


	54. Twinkle Twinkle

Sam was exhausted but Jacob O’Neill was born at three AM Mountain time. Two AM, Jack mused, if you went by Pacific where they technically were. They had ordered the paternity test so there was proof Pete had no claim on the youngest member of the O’Neill family. Jack kissed Sam’s forehead and called Mark to let him know his nephew was hale and hearty.

Grace slowly approached her mom’s bed. They had ordered her out during labor but she’d returned as soon as she’d gotten an all clear from a nurse. Marge urged her forward “Go on, Doll. You get first dibs. It’s your baby brother.” She’d held Sam’s hand during Grace’s birth. Jack had been where he would have been last time had he known, Marge thinks.

“Hey.” Grace says shyly to her mom. She’s never seen her look more exhausted.

“Hey, pretty girl. Want to meet your baby brother?” Sam said with a tired smile.

Grace nodded, uncharacteristically mute. Her eyes are bright.

“Hey, you okay, kiddo?”

“Did it hurt?” Grace finally asks. Her mom had not screamed in pain but one of the other women who went into labor around the same time had made agonized screams for hours while she labored and the walls of the maternity ward at the Groom Lake medical facility just weren’t that thick as it was a very small ward meant for emergency and high risk cases like Sam’s not general hospitalizations. Marge had to have a special pass to even be here. She and Grace both had lanyards with their info on them listing them as immediate family and their clearance levels.

“Yup but not as bad as some of the crap that happened at work.” Sam says a little amused until she saw the expression on her daughter’s face. She’d heard Lt. Conners too. She’d been induced and was pregnant with twins. Sam felt nothing but sympathy for the other woman’s pain. “Everyone is different but it’s probably on level with those ear infections you used to get.” She tells her stark white daughter.

“Those felt like I was being stabbed in the head by a molten hot ice pick, mom.”

“Yup and you survived them just fine.”

“I think I’m gonna adopt.” Grace announces which makes her mom chuckle.

“Not the worst decision ever.” Jacob took that moment to squeak in objection to the noise.

Grace looked at him in interest. “His face is all smooshed up.”

Sam chuckles. “Yah, yours was too. It will look okay in a couple days. Want to hold him?”

“He’s awfully little.” Grace debated but nodded anyway. She may as well get used to this tiny interloper. Until now, she’d been an only child. Charlie didn’t really count as he’d died a couple years before she was born. Sometimes she felt guilty because if Charlie hadn’t died, she probably wouldn’t have been born. Her parents might have still met, but her dad might have still been married. She’d eavesdropped on her folks talking about that one night when she was little. They had been trying to decide how to handle everything going on and dad had admitted that as much as he loved Sara, she probably would have left him either way. She’d been pushing for him to stop taking black-ops missions and had she succeeded, the fights about his moodiness would have continued and gotten worse until she was tired of it. He’d admitted to Sam that while part of him would always love his ex-wife, he knew in his heart how it would have ended and possibly, he wouldn’t like himself much that way. It had stuck with her and made her feel guilty until Grandpa Jake reminded her that her dad wouldn’t treat her any different if she was some other random guy’s kid.

Sam handed Grace her little brother who regarded his sister with alert dark eyes. “He likes you.” She told Grace.

“He’s just a baby. He likes everyone.” She countered.

“Nope, he hated the nurse.” Sam said chuckling. He did not calm down until Jack had taken him and finished washing the baby with the nurse’s supervision while Sam pushed out the placenta.

While Grace held her new brother, Jack was on the phone with his brother-in-law. “Yah, she came through fine, pretty tired but he’s healthy and she’s fine.” He told Mark.

“I’m glad she’s all right. The baby too. Pete said there was some question about the paternity.” Mark mentions.

Jack smiles to himself in amusement. “We tried out a special tech Sam’s department has been working on. The baby’s genetics match mine. I’m mailing the official paperwork to Shanahan once the traditional test comes through.”

“I guess that’s one less complication to worry about.” Mark agreed. Jack was having trouble reading if the guy thought it was a good thing or a bad thing until he finished with “I wish Sam would have talked to me before agreeing to that date. I wouldn’t have pushed if she’d been honest with me.”

“Don’t sweat it, Mark. She and I were having some problems and I should have realized it was because she felt insecure at the time.”

“Well don’t tell her I said this because she can kick my ass but Sam has a bad habit of thinking we can read her mind.”

Jack chuckled.

“So tell me about my new nephew and if you plan to add on at some point.”

“He’s great. Very very cute and not unless we have another accident.” Jack says grinning.

“Sam doesn’t have the best track record with that so far.” Mark says laughing.

“I’m starting to think it’s me.” Jack admitted. They had quietly told Mark during the wedding that Jack was Grace’s father. Mark had grinned and told them that this explained pretty much everything about the last eight years.

“You do seem to be the common variable, Jack.” Mark told him.

Jack grinned. “I leave the math to Sam on this one. I should probably go, I’m getting looks.”

“Oh yah I know that look. Tell her Kim and the kids and I send our love and we’ll try to get out to see the baby this summer if I can get some time off.”

“Will do. Stay in touch Mark.”

“You too Jack.” Mark said and hung up on his brother-in-law. A thing he never thought he’d be saying given Sam’s habit of chewing guys up and spitting them out.

“Mark and Kim say hi.” Jack says to Sam as he kisses her forehead. “Think you’re up to a shower yet?”

Sam looks up at him. “I think I’d need some help.” She admits.

“I can watch Jake if you want a shower mom.” Grace tells her parents helpfully.

“You sure kiddo? We don’t expect you to watch the baby while we do stuff, we can get one of the nurses to help your mom.”

Grace shakes her head though. “Nope. He’s just a little guy. I think I can take ‘em.” She quips.

Jack chuckles. “Come get us or call a nurse if things get out of hand. Come on, Carter, let’s get you cleaned up.” He tells Sam as he helps her up.

“I hurt all over.” Sam admits to Jack as she hobbles into the bathroom, Jack’s arm gently supporting her around her waist.

Grace sits holding her brother. “Well Jake. How do you like it on the outside so far? You know, when you’re my age, I’ll be in college. I’ll still be here for you though ‘cause that’s what siblings do.” She smiles down at him. “You’re kind of cute even if you do look all smooshed up.” She admits.

Forgotten in the waiting room, Marge had leaned against an arm rest and dozed off for the night.


	55. Have spaceship will travel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of the final stretch folks. This story kind of took on a life of it's own guys so I'm really happy that you've stuck with me reading it.

Sam had only been back from maternity leave for a few weeks when the calls started. First to her office in Nevada and then finally he’d managed to track down her exact location when she’d gone to the Prometheus for a few weeks to install a new hyperdrive and with the Asgard, update the program that controlled the system. She used it as an excuse to explain away her avoiding Cameron’s questions. Very few at the SGC knew she and Jack had gotten married and Sam wanted to keep it that way. For now. Grace knew if they went back to Colorado at all she had to go by her original last name in public. She congratulated Cam on him becoming head of SG-1. That’s when the begging started.

Sam dissembles as she explains that there’s a reason she’s taken the Nevada assignment after Cam tries to bait her with the idea that Dr. Lee wanted her job. Then he tries guilt. Sam lets out an inward sigh.

In an odd moment of providence her name is called over the PA to the bridge. It could be Jack… it could be catastrophic failure of the ship… and Sam didn’t care. She happily said goodbye to her old friend and all but skipped to the bridge. It was a good thing she’d be dirtside soon. She missed the kids. Pumping on the ship was a bit weird, especially as she had an SF currying it down to DC where Jack had the kids. Grace was taking a ‘vacation’ from her regular school that she wasn’t getting anything out of anyway.

She reaches the bridge and it’s her husband. “Sir, what brings you here?”

“Oh, just wanted to see how things were going… anything on fire yet?”

Sam grins a little. “Not yet sir, but give it time.”

Jack bobs his head and gives her the side eye, an amused quirk to his lips.

“Why don’t you show me around, Carter.” He says to her with an engaging smile.

“Yes sir.” She says with a small nod.

“So Mitchell still calling you?” He asks her as they walk the corridors.

“Of course.”

“What did you tell him?”

Sam shrugs. “That I had other things going on.”

“Do you miss it?” He asked her thoughtfully.

“Do you?” she countered.

“Every damn day of my life.” He admitted to her.

Nodding her agreement, she continued. “It would be a big adjustment. Grace would need to be discreet initially. Auntie Marge would have to go back to nanny duties or we’d have to hire one.”

“So don’t have team nights at the house.”

“That’s another thing, the house needs to be cleaned out and repainted.” She told him.

“Yah it was overdue before it was mothballed. Are you going to sell the bungalow then?”

Sam looks thoughtful for a bit. “It’s worked great as a rental for now.”

“Helps Colorado is a revolving door of Air Force personnel.”

Sam just nods. “The new hyperdrives are responding well to the upgrades from the Asgard. Thor really came through for us on this one.”

“It’s handy being friends with their cute little grey butts.” Jack agreed.

Sam grins for a moment. Sam’s private theory was given Thor’s age, he must have known a Lantian who’s personality was much like Jack’s and subsequently found Jack to be a source of amusement. “It is, sir.” She agreed.

“So…. You gonna do it?”

“Let’s see how he does without me first, sir. We’re the same rank. It’s going to have to either be a democracy or one of us is going to have to take a back seat.”

“You know it would give you first shot at doohickeys again.”

She grins. “Yes it would, sir.”

“You like doohickey finding.”

“Yes sir, I do.”

“Ah I love the sound of those words. Takes me back.” He grins at her.

Sam colors and bites on a smile. “We’re at work.” She reminds him trying not to giggle.

“That has never once stopped me before.” He reminds he but backs off. The ship is less private than the warren of corridors of the SGC. “Got a cooler you need me to take back?” He asks her.

“As a matter of fact I do sir. Give the kids kisses for me.”

“I will. We’ll talk more about the other thing later?”

Sam nods.

“Okey dokey.” They head for the storage area to retrieve her cooler of breast milk. The empty one he’d brought back sits ready to fill next to it. “Tell whoever’s in charge of this shindig to get me their paperwork ASAP.”

“Yes sir.” Sam said laughing, fairly certain he remembered who was commanding the ship and was just teasing but it _was_ Jack so… possibly not.

“One to beam down, Scottie.” Jack jokes and toggles his homing device that will take him directly back the house in DC.

Sam shakes her head in the fading light.


	56. Home again home again

Some time passes before Jack checks in physically at the SGC. Hank did fine without being micromanaged and it was never Jack’s style anyway. Daniel and Landry fill him in on the various goings on with the new threat of the Ori and Cameron expresses some insecurity. Jack knows the guy will do fine and yet… In the end, Jack decides to see how things play out on both ends. Sam is getting antsy sitting on her butt. Grace is losing her mind in traditional school and the only one who seems fine with the situation was the baby. He’d gotten a terse ‘thank you for keeping me in the loop’ reply from Shanahan. Jack had actually gone to the effort to write a fairly kind letter given the situation. He shrugged it off. He never could figure out what that guy wanted from this. He seemed to treat Sam like a possession in retrospect and Jack was glad Sam moved away almost right away and when she did move back to Colorado it would be to his house. They might need to think about someplace bigger though. He’d potentially have three kids living with him at least part of the year though one was a young adult and would only be home during the summer.

A couple more months pass. Jack keeps an eye on things until Hank really starts to get out of his depth.

“I’m not kidding, Jack, you’ll have to handle the entire move yourself if I’m up to my armpits in this Ori mess.” Sam confesses.

“I know that.” He answers, defensively. “Grace is big enough to pack her own stuff and I’ll hire a moving company for the big stuff. Piece of cake Carter.”

“You’re sure?”

“Carter.”

“Yes Jack?”

“Let’s go home.”

Sam smiles and nods. “Okay.” She tells him. “Dibs on telling Grace.”

“No fair! You always get to be the big hero.” Jack whines.

“Says the guy covered in so much fruit he can barely stand.”

Jack looks down at his class As. They are sitting in the Groom Lake Air Force officer’s commissary having lunch together in a corner where they won’t be bothered. Jack’s rank alone tends to make others wary of approaching him. His secretary was a mousy little lieutenant who was still intimidated by Jack’s rank no matter how nice he was to her. She’d only softened when the nanny had once brought the kids by in an emergency because her mom needed to unexpectedly see a doctor. Lt. Moore had taken an instant liking to Jake and had been surprisingly chatty with his frighteningly smart daughter.

“Hey, just do me one favor.”

“Sure?”

“Don’t say anything to Hank about the reassignment.” He grinned. “I want it to be a surprise.”

“Sir.”

“Carter.”

“Are you certain Jon isn’t the only one who’s seventeen?”

“Hey!”

* * *

Sam walked in on Hank Landry arguing on the phone about the Mark IX. She nods at him when he turns around and sees her. “Reporting as ordered… sir.” She says with an amused smile.

Hank sighs. “Yeah. She's standing right here. You're a funny man, Jack. Very funny.” He tells Jack before hanging up.

Sam’s smile is a little embarrassed. Sometimes Jack was a tad too easily amused.

“Well, come on, let’s get you settled.” He says. “No time like the present.” He motions her out the door. “What finally changed your mind if I might ask?”

“I ah… decided my family obligations outweighed career advancement right now. You guys needed my help, and truth be told, depending on how this goes, it might become more permanent. Grace wasn’t getting anything out of school out there.”

“Yah, I’d heard about that. Probably didn’t appreciate getting shuffled off to Jack and his new wife’s place in DC for over a month either.” He mused.

Sam bites her lip. Ah, so that’s how you’ve been playing eh? She thinks at Jack who is not there. “No actually they enjoyed that part.” Sam says with an amused smile.

“Well at least someone got something out of it.” He says and waves an arm forward. “Kept your lab the way it was, kind of always expected you back honestly.”

“Why do you say that, sir?”

“It was your longest assignment and not for lack of anyone trying to steal you away from here.”

Sam smiled in amusement. “Yah… well, it always kept me on my toes.” Sam admits.

He pats her arm in amusement. “That’s not going to change any time soon.” And leaves her to unpacking her lab.

“Yup, that’s what worries me.” She sighs.

* * *

So far the Ori had been unbeatable. Jack had her working on a bomb but honestly, Sam didn’t share his confidence in its ability to wipe out the religious nuts. And people thought fifteenth century Catholics were difficult, she thinks with wry amusement.

She tells Landry it’s only temporary knowing full well Jack was already writing up the transfer papers and getting the house in Nevada ready to put up for sale.

But Daniel tries to call her bluff while they try to dial Kallana. “Well, temporary or not, it's good to have you back.” He says to her with a grin.

Sam just smiles back.

Cameron butts in with “How good is this? Got the band back together.”

Teal’c gives him a long look. Sam looks back at Vala then leans closer to Daniel. “Yeah, so what's with the extra back-up singer?” She asks him.

Vala hears her though and slouches against the wall, sulking.

Cameron comes to Vala’s defense. “Aw, she's good fun. Plus we figured if Jackson were to…”

“Die.” Teal’c supplies with his usual deadpan voice.

“Yeah, that's the word. It would jeopardize the mission.” Cameron says cheerfully.

Sam gives Daniel a worried look but Daniel’s expression is resigned and put-upon. “When we spoke a couple of weeks ago, you said you thought the effect of the bracelets was wearing off.” She’d called him to ask if she could crash on his couch for a few days. In reality it was because the moving company needed to put their things in storage so they could have someone come in and paint. Although, Sam suspected the service Jack would hire was himself.

“It was. I just didn't want to put it to a test from the other side of the galaxy. So…” Daniel hedges. Sam nods in understanding.

Behind them Vala coughs, her expression still sulky. Finally because she can’t stop herself anymore, she pipes up, her voice taking on a definite whine, “Wow. You're just dying to get rid of me now, aren't you?”

“Noooo... Not _dying_ to.” Daniel dissembles.

Vala steps forward though and stands on the gate ramp, facing the four of them. She’s clearly irritated when she says “Oh no, I know I'm not welcome here. Despite all my efforts to try and fit into your little stargating club, you can all rest assured that as soon as I can safely part Daniel's company without killing the both of us, I will.” She then winks sarcastically at Cameron and Teal’c then heads up the ramp, only to spin and point at General Landry. “Oh, and you. You will wish you had listened to me when I said letting the Goa'uld come here was a mistake.” She throws her scarf over her shoulder and flounces through the gate.

Everyone else just stands there looking at each other.

Hank finally jogs them out of their confused reactions. “Get to it. And good luck.”

“Right. Let's do this.” Cam tells them and they head up the ramp together.

Pendergast drops the ball on Cam’s call sign and Sam expresses wry amusement at how uninventive it was. Vala teases that it’s disappointing and she and Sam share an amused grin. Sam finds herself warming to the dark haired woman even if she is a bit dramatic.

Vala and Cam exchange innuendos about the size of Sam’s bomb for a bit until Sam catches on that Vala means Daniel and she gives her best guy friend an odd look. Because first TMI but also seriously? Sam could already see how much Vala was like Jack, just more openly dramatic about it. When she thinks about it though, it makes some sense. They were inexplicably close even from the start in spite of the constant bickering. She supposed if both men were inclined that way they would have made a cute couple. And if she was honest with herself, she was more like Daniel than she’d like to admit some days.

Teal’c took the loss of the Jaffa well all things considered. The prior’s force field was considerably larger than it was when it started. Sam really didn’t share Jack’s confidence regarding this gate buster bomb. Yes it could tear up naquadah parts in an enclosed lab setting but there hadn’t been any field tests.

They gear up to take the bomb to the planet. Daniel and Vala bicker with one another making Sam roll her eyes. Who do you think you are fooling anyway, Daniel? You’re loving every minute of her nonsense. Sam tells them what their window is and is glad that for a change, she’s staying on the bridge.

To complicate things, the Jaffa show up to avenge their fallen brothers and start firing on the planet. Pendergast lets them know they are firing on SGC members and the Ha’taks back off much to Sam’s relief. After they beam SG-1 back onto the ship, the Jaffa hail them. Gerak demands to speak to whoever is in charge and Pendrgast motions her forward. ‘Oh great’ Sam thinks. “It's an honor to speak with you, sir. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter--”

“By insisting that we cease fire on the enemy stronghold, you've allowed it to expand even further, and we've lost the element of surprise.” Gerak snarls at her.

Sam glances back at Pendergast. “And quite possibly saved the lives of SG-1.” She reminds the elderly dark skinned Jaffa.

He bickers with her about the situation until Pendegast suggests the other man engage his shields and get ready for an earth shattering kaboom. She needed to stop watching Loony Toons with Jack and the kids on the weekend. It was rubbing off at inappropriate times.

And there was... but it didn’t work. The force field just got bigger until it covered the planet. More bickering about the situation ensued… and then Sam has a horrible realization “Colonel, we need to cease fire, now!” she tells Cam.

Cameron orders Pendergast who orders Marks to cease fire.

“The greater the intensity of our weapons' fire, the greater and more frequent their expansion phases. There is a direct correlation. They're using the energy of our own weapons to build their beachhead.” Sam tells them.

“You mean they planned this?” Vala asks, sounding equal parts disgusted and impressed.

“There's no way to project the necessary power through a Stargate across galaxies. So they designed a force field that could be powered by our own weapons.” Sam replies.

Teal’c glowers. “The Ori knew the Jaffa of Kallana would defend their homeworld and others would follow.” Clearly pissed, they had used their own fire power against them.

Just as pissed off, Daniel adds “And Nerus made certain we'd join in.”

With an angry nod, Cam adds, “Which means he's working for the Ori.”

Furious that she and Jack had been manipulated, Sam told them “The Mark IX gave them almost 70% of the power they needed to envelop the entire planet.”

Cam muses “Oh yeah, we've been set up.”

Vala, her voice dripping with sarcasm, tells them all, “What a complete shock!” She ducks her head and makes a zipping motion over her lips though when Daniel and Cam glare at her. “Won’t say another word.” She tells them. Sam though, silently agrees with the other woman.

Once the shield covers the entire planet because Garak chooses to continue firing in spite of being told to stop, three oblong unknowns come through the Stargate and head for the Prometheus and Ha’tak ships. Pendergast starts evasive maneuvers as Garak loses a Ha’tak. One of the Ori missiles wings the bow and causes a small explosion.

Garak cuts and runs while the people of the SGC watch the planet spew out parts of a Supergate big enough to float an armada through. And Kallana is shrinking into a black hole.

Vala tries to give them an idea of how to stop the new Spacegate but everyone ignores her so she leaves the room. She rings over to the cloaked cargo ship Gerak left behind to spy on them and zats the Jaffa on it. Now Daniel notices she’s gone off. Master of observation skills that one she thinks.

Vala’s plan succeeds and she destroys the Gate but Daniel’s upset look turns to him stumbling backwards against Pendergast’s chair. Cam hustles him off to the infirmary and Sam follows after telling the ship’s commander to let SGC know the Supergate is destroyed.

Cam spends his time walking with Sam trying to convince her to get on board with SG-1 again. When they get to Daniel’s side, Teal’c tells Daniel that Vala will be properly mourned which doesn’t seem to console Daniel much. Sam’s comment that she might have wound up on the other side of the singularity though leaves him pensive. His expression clears slightly at the idea though. “Well…we wanted to send them a message.” They exchange bemused expressions.

A hell of a message Sam thinks, and for Daniel’s sake, she hopes she’s right.

* * *

A few days later, she sits outside the Craftsman she and Jack own. Her heart flutters at that. This is her home now too.

Jack picks up on the third ring. “Hey beautiful wife of mine, what’s up?”

“Has Daniel said anything to you about Vala?”

“Well other than she’s crazy and a thief not much.” He says, chuckling.

“So no mention of the fact that he’s in love with her then.”

“Ohhh… well now that explains a lot.”

Sam grins. Her face falls nearly immediately though. “Jack…”

“Yah. I heard. If she’s alive, I’ll do what I can to clear the way to help you find her, Sam. You know that.”

“Thank you.” She tells him simply.

“You like her.”

Sam chuckles in spite of herself. “I actually do.”

“Want me to tell you why?” He teases her.

“No, I already figured it out. How are the kids? Behaving for you?”

“Yah… mostly…”


	57. Having a Ba’al

“So this is a problem.” Jack says to Sam sitting at the SGC briefing table. He’d come as soon as she’d called him actually. Well, once he was able to confirm with the sitter that he’d be gone for at least a day, possibly more.

“Yes sir it is. With your permission I’d like to team up with Agent Barrett and track him down before he gets twitchy.” Sam tells him.

“Ah… good old Mal…”

“He’s a good agent, sir. We know we can trust him with classified information, even against his own people.” Sam reminds him.

Jack gives her a sharp look. Mal had kept his yap shut about Grace. “All right.”

“Colonel Carter, make sure you get this under control quickly. The Jaffa are on a head hunt for this guy, Ba’al, and honestly, they are going to cause an interplanetary incident fairly soon if we don’t.”

Sam nods. “Daniel is in Maryland. I’ll catch up with him as soon as I can get a flight out. Cam and Teal’c have already made arrangements to board the Prometheus.”

“All right. Get to it.” Landry tells her and dismisses her.

Jack jogs to catch up before she leaves the Gate room. “Carter, a moment.”

“Yes sir?”

“Settling in all right?”

“I am, thank you sir.” She says and gives him an inquiring look.

“Need a ride to the airport?” He asks her, his eyebrows raised and his tone mild.

Ah. “Thank you sir, I’d appreciate that.”

Jack bobs his head. “I’ll meet you topside. Just need to change.”

“All right. Me too.” She says with a small smile.

“Stay out of your lab, Carter.” He warns her.

Sam snorts in amusement. Yes sir.

* * *

They meet up with Mal outside the airport. “Agent Barrett, thanks for the lift.” Daniel tells the other man and shakes his hand.

“Well, I couldn't exactly have you guys catching a cab to the stakeout, now, could I?” Mal replies agreeably.

They discuss the situation while they throw their bags in the back of the surveillance van Mal has brought with him.

A bit later they arrive at the hotel Ba’al’s people are holed up in and Williams checks in. After Mal asks Sam how she’s been.

“Pretty good. You?” She tells him noncommittally.

“Yah, pretty good…. Can’t complain.” They smile awkwardly and Sam checks equipment to avoid any further discussion.

“What’s new?” Mal finally asks her. He hadn’t been keeping tabs.

“Uh, let's see…I was leading R&D for a while there.” She says of the Groom Lake position she’d recently given up.

“Well, I never figured you the type to settle for a desk job.” He says to her thoughtfully.

“I needed something with more flexible hours. Janet's adopted daughter, Cassie, was going through a hard time.” Got married, had another kid… Cassie had been going through a rough patch and come home a lot, but not as much as she and Jack played up for nosey coworkers.

“Oh… I see.” Mal said.

“Spent some time on the Prometheus, away on deep space reconnaissance.” Sam told him. Missed my kids and husband she didn’t add.

“Uh-huh.” Mal said in the sort of bored but keep talking voice one uses to keep someone else going.

“Oooh... Helped stop a dangerous new enemy from gaining a foothold in the galaxy.” She said brightening.

Mal wasn’t especially interested in any of that. “Yes, I heard about that…How's Pete?

Sam pauses for a bit. “We broke up.” She finally admits.

Mal smiles. “Really?” when Sam shoots him a look he schools his face better. “Uh…I mean, I'm sorry to hear that.” He finishes lamely.

Sam is a little amused. “Oh, it was the best thing for both of us.”

Mal thinks about that for a moment. “So you're single again?” He says hopefully.

“Not exactly.” She tells him.

The resulting pause is awkward while they look at each other. Sam refusing to volunteer any further information and Mal afraid to ask. On base she wore her rings on her dog tags. Currently they were in Jack’s pocket for safe keeping. She didn’t want to give Ba’al any clues to follow if things went south quickly.

Daniel comes back shortly and Sam tells him it’s not Ba’al because he can’t be in a live interview across town and in the hotel. She turns on the TV to show him and clenches her jaw. She really hates this guy. Daniel rolls his eyes in frustration.

Later that day Sam talks to Landry about what they already know. When she gets off the phone she tells Daniel and Mal what Hank said about the situation. The gist of the situation was Ba’al had wisely made himself a public figure so they couldn’t just take him out… and Jack was working on an angle.

Sam ends up leaving Daniel and Mal behind to deal with the bomb Ba’al says he’s going to set off in Seattle. Conveniently Jack had given her a call device for the Prometheus to home in on.

Things don’t get better when Sam figures out the entire building is the bomb. That son of a… the building is big enough to take out a five mile radius. Looks like Jack would be holding on to those rings.

Of all things though, Cam is the one that comes up with a solution. They beam the entire building out to space where it explodes harmlessly.

* * *

Sam sits picking at her carton of Chinese food. “So the Jaffa killed Ba’al but there is a really high probability it was just a clone.”

“How high are we talking here?” Jack asked her picking at something in his coffee mug.

“Probability that you would get me pregnant if I wasn’t using contraception high.”

“That’s high.”

“Yup.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.

Sam tilted her head and pursed her lips. A clear no.

Jack pouts a little and shrugs. Jake is not even a year old yet. He didn’t really want Irish twins. He did like being a dad though and if he was honest, he loved babies. “So how are we handling this?”

Sam poked at her food some more. “I don’t know.” She admitted.

“Carter?”

“I don’t, Jack. There’s just too many permutations still. We don’t know how many we are dealing with or where they even are. They could literally be anywhere in the galaxy at this point.”

Jack scrubbed his hand over his face. “Yah… I know. Sometimes I forget you don’t have _all_ the answers.” He leans over and brushes her cheek affectionately. “You’ll figure it out, Sam. You always do.”

Sam bites her lip and Jack kisses her gently. “I have to be back to Washington tomorrow. How about we turn in early?”

Sam smirks and chuckles. “Subtle... very subtle.”

Jack grins at her. “Is that a yes?”


	58. Through the mirror of my mind

A few weeks had passed and the main concern was still the Ori. Grace was happy to be home and back in her preferred school. Jake was happy anywhere. Jack’s old office became Jake’s bedroom, the small bonus room that had previously been used for storage and had the door to the observation deck became Jack’s office. Jack was spending his weekends home building a bedroom for Cassie in the basement. They didn’t expect her home a lot but they wanted her to know she had her own space.

Sam felt… frustrated. Not with Jack or the kids, but with the lack of progress dealing with the Ori. With the Goa’uld, you killed them and usually they stayed dead. Sometimes not, but… mostly. She thought some very uncharitable vulgar words about the priors.

Later that day, she and Dr. Lee worked together on the ultrasonic inhibitors in the hopes of finding a way to distract the Priors so they could be killed. When she tells Lee that Landry wants to see progress in a couple days he asks her if she wants a cold fusion theory also. Sam jokes that sure if he’s got some ideas. It was a good thing Marge was used to spending the night with the kids. She puts in a pair of ear buds so she can focus on work. Her Zune was swiped from Jack’s desk drawer so it’s loaded with a rather eclectic selection of music. Lots of opera, some country, mostly Alabama, and an oddly specific selection of somewhat modern stuff. But it made her feel close to him with him in Washington most of the time and she didn’t think he’d mind.

The next day she walks in on Bill blasting heavy metal with prototype noise canceling ear buds in. He makes a few lame jokes then admits he’s over tired having not gone home last night. He nervously rolls his sleeves.

She finds herself staring at the ceiling for no apparent reason. Bill asks her about it but she hasn’t any idea why she was and admits she might just be tired too. Jack had dropped by the base to talk to Hank yesterday and stayed the night. He hadn’t been very interested in sleep late last night when they finally had some time alone together. 

Bill goes to get them coffee as Sam stays in the lab. Absently. Sam fiddles with her pen, staring at her work in frustration.

“You’re so close.”

“I know.” Sam agrees absently until she registers she shouldn’t be hearing anyone in her lab. She turns around and sees a kid behind her by Bill’s chair. ‘Oh fer’ cryin’ out loud’. She thinks. Not this crap again.

“Hello, Sam. It's good to see you again. I've missed you.” The small blond kid tells her.

“Who are you?” She asks him. The bigger question is how did you get here?

“I had no choice but to take this form. It's me, Orlin.”

Sam stares at him utterly shocked.

* * *

Sam wasn’t exactly fond of having to admit things hadn’t been entirely innocent with Orlin to Carolyn and Hank. Not that it was their business, but all she’d done was make out with the guy. She had been trying to draw the guy out and had probably played him a little but it had been necessary at the time. Jack had understood. Jack probably would have understood if things had gone further in retrospect. He’d been awfully patient about the Pete thing. She needed to quit beating herself up about that.

And it doesn’t really help that Hank, while a good leader, doesn’t understand a damn thing she’s saying half the time. Trying to describe and explain the weapon she was working on had her smiling in both amusement and frustration. Uncle George understood about half of what she said and had Jack to translate for him all those years. Jack had understood about eighty percent of what she said and trusted her with the rest. He’d been her biggest advocate from the beginning even if he did warn people not to ask questions they didn’t actually want the answers to from her.

Sam talked to Carolyn about what Orlin told her about his reasons for showing up as a kid. Apparently the more flexible mind of a child was the only way to retain Ancient knowledge for as long as possible. She told Hank that because Orlin took a huge risk to even come to them, that they should at least hear him out. Hank agreed to it… rather vaguely, but he agreed.

Orlin tells them the Ori are using their followers to sap energy from them. Everyone is horrified by the idea, especially Daniel. Hank asks Orlin why the Alterans don’t just stop the Ori and Orlin admits that his people may no longer be able to do so.

Fisher and three other members of the SGC had brought back a plague with them from an Ori held world. Orlin admitted to Sam that he couldn’t simply heal them but he could make a cure… but it would be a little harder than building a Stargate off E-Bay.

Later in the afternoon Orlin isn’t making any progress. He’s not able to work with what’s available yet so Sam offers him a toaster then when he says only if she wants toast, jokes a waffle iron might help more. Orlin asks her to just keep him company. She smiles and agrees. She’d genuinely liked Orlin even if she hadn’t been interested in him the way he’d hoped she would be.

Orlin and Sam talk about the base food not being that great. Honestly, it had been better under Hammond and then Jack but there had been budget cuts and it was back to standard military issue mystery loaf again.

She asked him about him being stuck here, worried that he’d need a place to go eventually and he admitted the others were probably going to just leave him here this time. He asks her about it being weird, him being so young but Sam dissembles, it is a little but… this isn’t the first time with that specific situation, not that she’s going to tell him about Jon any time soon.

And then of all things... he makes a pass at her when he confesses that he has feelings for her. Sam chuckles uncomfortably. Normally she’d would give him the ‘look you’re a nice guy but not really my type’ conversation with him and really how was that going to look anyway… he offers to date her in a few years. She’d look like a dirty old woman dating a kid younger than Jon who she still thought of as a kid and he was eighteen for cryin’ out loud. Orlin couldn’t be more than thirteen if that. Peachy… Jack’s verbal habits were now her inner monologue she thinks.

Then Orlin goes back to complaining about the food like he hadn’t just said that... and Sam becomes concerned. He admits he’s just used to thinking rather than speaking and wasn’t sure if he’d said that out loud then reminds her he still has feelings for her and asks if he said that yet.

Sam assures him they _really_ don’t need to discuss that topic again. Ever, she thinks. Not happening, kid, even if I wasn’t married with two kids and a foster daughter.

In her briefing with Hank and Cam they go over the fact that Orlin was going to need a DNA sample from the prior who infected everyone in the first place. She’s pretty sure the device she and Bill have been working on will help them capture the man.

Cam and Daniel discuss the possibility that they might be able to turn the prior if he learns the truth but Hank makes it clear how unlikely he believes that will pan out.

When Sam goes back to the lab Orlin is using after delivering the sound wave disruptor to Cam, she finds him in a state of exhaustion and more concerning, he’s apparently losing track of his memory. She orders him to Dr. Lam’s capable hands. Carolyn tells her the boy’s brain is dying from overuse, that it’s just not able handle as much information as he’s trying to retain and process. They watch the sleeping boy and Sam’s heart breaks for him. He risked everything to help them… and it seemed it would cost him everything as well. His reasons were foolish at that. She got the impression from his confession that the only reason he’d done so was in some hope of a romantic relationship. Impossible enough had he been an adult considering she’d never cared about him the same way he cared about her.

* * *

The next morning she found Orlin in his lab again. He asked her if she was all right… and she wasn’t. Her heart was breaking for him as she told him that his brain is degenerating which would lead to cognitive impairment. He admitted he’d expected to lose memories from when he was ascended but he realizes that it was more than that now. Because in trying to retain the Alteran knowledge, his brain was failing.

She realized he knew and had done it anyway. She accuses him of doing this on purpose when he could just write it down and salvage what’s left. Just because she doesn’t return his feelings doesn’t mean she doesn’t care what happens to him. She begs him to stop and he tells her it’s too complex for her to understand. She’s too upset about him doing this to himself to take offence.

She checks on him a bit later. He admits he’s writing it down in case he can’t finish. Quietly she asks what she can do for him and sadly he tells her it’s best if she leaves him alone. All she can do is squeeze his shoulder reassuringly and leave.

* * *

Two days later Orlin knocks over a sample tray and Johnson chews both Orlin and Sam out because Orlin is now a danger to others. Sam argues with Johnson but Orlin agrees he’s a safety hazard to others now and leaves the lab. The hazmat crew cleans up the mess on the floor and Sam watches Orlin leave with worry.

She finds Hank in a corridor and gives him an update that is… useless she realizes. They couldn’t make any progress without the blood sample from a prior and Cam and Daniel weren’t back yet.

Hank, having gotten an update from Col. Johnson, goes to find Orlin and ask a final favor from the boy.

* * *

Days later… after Gerak had sacrificed himself, Jack drives Sam to the care facility where Orlin has been admitted to.

“You don’t have to do this, Carter.” He tells her gently. He knew on some level Sam had genuinely cared about the guy. They had talked, that first night, about what to do with him originally. They were already talking about getting a bigger house soon anyway. Jack figured what was one more kid at this point. Grace would have given Orlin something to fixate on besides Sam.

Sam shook her head though. “He’s in this condition because he cared about me, Jack. It’s important.”

“I know.” He agreed and squeezed her hand. He got it. The thing he loved the most about Sam was how kind of a heart she had. If the kid got better he’d talk to her about fostering him rather than him being in a medical facility. It didn’t seem fair to keep the kid in a hospital if there was nothing more wrong with him than a bit of mental impairment.

Sam went in and spent time with Orlin who had no memory of her at all. Sam was both deeply saddened and deeply relieved.

Meanwhile Jack talked to the kid’s doctors to make sure he had everything he needed for now and to find out his long term prognosis. He could probably get him into Grace’s school which catered to special needs kids as well. Currently the care facility believed he’d had a catastrophic brain injury.

He’d talk to Marge too. She wasn’t as young as she used to be. Orlin wasn’t prone to outbursts but he was extremely absent minded. He might remember Sam the next time she visited… he might not. Only time would tell.


	59. Lattice set

Sam runs in hot through the Gate from PX7-357, to be greeted by… herself… “Oh boy.” She says under her breath.

Cameron asks, “What the hell is going on here?” His accent thickening as it tended to do when he was freaking out a little internally. She and Cam crouch at the ready, her blue tiger stripe BDUs shedding dust and soil on the ramp.

Hank tiredly explains the short version and tells them to go to the infirmary. “Yup.” Cameron says agreeably when they are heading down the hall to the elevator. “Gonna be a long day.” He mutters. “Lots of paperwork.”

“You like paperwork.” Sam reminds him.

“I lied.” Cam says as they wait on the elevator under the watchful eye of an SF.

So far there are only two other SG-1 teams and this reality seems superficially like their own. Sam is careful not to say much though because there could be significant differences. She was glad she’d stopped breast feeding Jake when she went back to active duty. She really didn’t want to have to explain to the other two Sams that she had what they wanted if she could avoid it. The Sam of this reality didn’t have the incriminating pale mark her finger sported when her wedding band was on her tag chain.

And then things got even weirder as the spatial tear routed more and more SG-1 units to this reality. Landry re-routes most of them to Alpha Base but a few come in hot like they did. This reality calls it Alpha Site not Alpha Base like hers. Minor change compared to others she had noted. She wore her hair longer than the Sam of this reality. Only about an inch and a half but it was a difference.

Carolyn clears them as another group marches in. “This is like a Fantasia broom.” She mutters.

“Pardon?” Cam asks her.

Sam waves her hand. “The Disney movie from when we were little. Mickey Mouse animates a broom but when things get out of control he tries to chop it up to kill it and all he manages to do is make a lot more of the same broom.” Cam gives her a kind of blank look. “Okay, you know how fractals work, don’t you, Cam?”

“Uh... sort of?”

Sam rolls her eyes but smiles. She misses Jack already. He’d nod absently whether he knew or not then go look it up later. “Each time a different choice is made a new reality branches off. Some will have similar results and they will run parallel or identically even though they go in different directions after a while and some will go off on a wild tangent being completely different like choosing to go into the Air Force or not.”

“Okay… I think I follow.” Cam told her with his eyebrows lowered, clearly trying to process the concept.

“All right, so in all these cases unlike the other times we’ve dealt with alternate realities, I joined the Air Force or its equivalent. So these would all be a single grouping of realities. But because I’ve made different choices each time depending on my reasoning at the time…”

“You ah... did stuff other Sams didn’t do.”

“Exactly.” She agreed.

“You know this is why Landry’s head hurts all the time, right?” Cam asked her.

Sam grinned.

“Major Carter?” An SF asked her. His patch says AF. Apparently they hadn’t changed the designation here

“That’s me.” Sam agreed.

“Major Carter... er… our Major Carter would like you to join her and Dr. Lee in her lab.”

Sam shrugged. “It’s what I’d do to try to figure this out.” She tells Cam who gives her a concerned look. “It’s all right, Cam, Daniel Teal’c and I have been through this before. I’ll put my head together with the other Sams and we’ll all go home before the entropic cascade sets in.”

“Entrop— “

“Let’s go.” Daniel cuts Cam off before he can spend half an hour trying to puzzle out how and what that is. “I’ll explain it later.”

Cam gives Sam a concerned look but follows Daniel to the lounge they are being directed to.

Sam heads for her lab. “Vala would love this.” She mutters to herself with a chuckle and walks in to be greeted by Bill and the other Sams.

As the afternoon wears on… about a dozen different SG-1 teams coming in hot that they can’t reroute to Alpha join them. The Sams head for the lab to work together while Cam hangs out with his counterparts. Sam isn’t honesty sure what Daniel and Teal’c do. She gets a little concerned though when a team shows up with Janet… and Martouf. The Daniel of this world takes it hard. Perhaps more had happened between them than had with her own Daniel and Janet.

Sam did what she could to avoid Martouf. He’d made her uncomfortable with his aggressive friendliness just like Orlin’s infatuation had. But perhaps it was because she had a child to protect giving her a different perspective on male attention. A couple of the other Sams had the same reaction and she started to idly wonder if she’d been mad enough at West that sleeping with Jack randomly had been… a trend. Sam giggled to herself. Oh admit it, he’s ridiculously hot. If he hadn’t been your CO, you would have jumped him in any reality.

Later that evening, she found herself in a bunk room with the other Sams. Landry’s reasoning was not having to deal with privacy issues for them on base. One of the Sams… about the fifth or sixth one sat on her bunk next to her. “Hey.” She said.

“Hey.”

“So ah… when did you…” she asks quietly as she gestures discreetly at Sam’s ring finger.

“A few days before I left for Groom Lake. You?” She asked noting the same pale mark that matched her own.

“Same. We ah… thought it might be a good idea given the situation.”

Sam grinned a little. “Boy or girl?”

The other Sam grinned back. “Girl. You?”

“Which time?”

“What?” The other Sam’s eyes went wide.

Sam chuckled a little. “What did you do the night West dismissed you from the program?”

“Went home and threw darts at his head while I drank wine.”

“So did I.” said another Sam to them as she sat down on the other side of Sam. “Why? What did you do?”

“Picked up a guy at a dive bar and balled his brains out.” Sam said with an amused shrug.

The other two Sams looked at each other then at her. “You’re kidding?” The first Sam said.

“Wait, you got knocked up from a one night stand?” The other demanded.

“Okay, not my finest moment but it really changed how I looked at things. For instance, I’m not having a crisis of faith over Martouf.” Sam told them both.

“Yah me neither. He’s a nice guy and all but…” Her voice trailed off.

“Exactly.” The other Sam said. “Why _is_ the Sam of this reality so hung up on him still?”

“My guess is things are a little up in the air with you know who.” Sam said, wishing she had a beer to drink to punctuate that remark.

“Who? Jack?” one of the other Sams asked.

“Who else?” Sam number two asked.

“Well you might have meant Rodney.” The Sam who was divorced from him said from another bed.

“Gross. What were you thinking?”

She shrugged. “That Jack was a dick for not apologizing about Laira.” She said. “Took him a while to realize that was a requirement.”

One of the other Sams laughed. “Did you try punching him?”

“I have an idea. Let’s figure out where each timeline is grouped.”

There was a collective round of agreement.

“We don’t tell the Sam of this reality any of this. She needs to figure this out on her own.” One of the other Sams said in reference to their relationships with Jack in particular.

All the Sams nodded in agreement.

Sam looked around at the nodding women. Taking a deep breath, she starts. “Okay…Let’s start with the easy stuff. How many of you slept with Jack?”

Every hand goes up and she chuckles. “All right, this is gonna be a little harder than I thought. I kind of wish they had let all the teams come through so we’d have a better baseline.” She pauses as she mentally reviews her own actions. “Okay, how many of you went to a bar when West fired you and you unknowingly slept with Jack?”

She’s met with several shocked looks but two other hands raised in slow slight shamefulness as well as her own. “How many of you did it but with some other guy?”

One hand raises as the owner ducks her head.

“Please tell me it wasn’t Rodney.” The one who’d been married to him said cringing.

“Sorry. Random Marine.” She said to the laughter of the others.

“Okay, so that’s the first divergence for us. Some of us had anger sex. Subset… How many of you got pregnant that night?”

One of the Sams raised her hand and wiggled her fingers with an embarrassed smile.

“Boy or girl?”

“Girl, you?”

“Same.” Sam says.

“Wait…” One of the Sams says… “Is… Is her name Grace by any chance?”

Sam gave that Sam a sharp look. “Yes. Why?”

Several Sams look at each other then look at Sam. “Who did you see on the Prometheus? Besides the guys and your dad?”

“Charlie.” Sam says, confused.

“I saw Grace.” Several other Sams nod in agreement. “And if you had her from a one night stand with Jack before he left for Abydos the first time… she’d have been exactly the age of the Grace I saw.” The other Sams who didn’t sleep with Jack also nodded in agreement.

“I wish we could contact Theta Base.” One of the Sams says.

“It’s Alpha here.” Another reminds her and several Sams nod.

“Well we definitely need to not talk to this reality’s Sam about this, that’s for sure.” One of the Sams that had drunk sex with Jack before his first Gate trip.

“Why not?” Another asked.

“Something’s wrong. She’s hitting on Martouf… or rather he’s flirting with her and she’s not turning him down flat.” The Sam that brought it up says. Several Sams nod in agreement.

“Something needs to be done about that. I wish he’d come.” One of them said but she had a sad smile that made the other Sams exchange a look.

“When did you lose him?”

She bit her lip and looked away. “Thor wasn’t fast enough. They lost him on the table right after Teal’c and Daniel rescued me from Fifth. We got to say goodbye and… that was it.” She said sadly.

One of the Sams hugged her. Several looked at each other then at her and in unison said, “Don’t marry Pete.”

She blinked at them and burst into tears. “I don’t know how to tell him no. He’s so sweet about it all…”

“Nah, that’s an act.” The other Sam that had a daughter from a one night stand with Jack said and put her arm around the now crying Sam. “He’s really not a good guy. He fakes it really good but Auntie Alice and Grace both saw right through him.”

“She’s Marge in my reality.”

There are nods on either side.

“Anyone besides me decide we saw their daughters?” One of the Sams asks.

“So why did those of us with daughters that age see Charlie?”

“Because in some realities Charlie is still alive.” One replies, “Though that doesn’t explain why he’s still the age he was when Jack lost him.”

“Unless it was the Unity reminding us who was waiting for us on the other side. The cloud was intragalactic.” One hypothesizes.

“You know, after what happened with the mirror… I think I understand why Jack doesn’t want in on this even though he’s always claimed more of us would be his wet dream.”

Several Sams giggle. They all nod knowingly. For the handful in the room who had lost him, seeing him would hurt and he knew that.

“I just want those of you who lost him to know… he really did love you that much. Don’t settle.” Sam says. “He’s an incredible father and I’m really glad Dad gave us both a push.” She smiled softly… “Kerry too.”

“Wait Kerry… the agent?” one asked her.

“Apparently In my reality, she was the one who told him not to let me leave his house when I came over one last time to try to get through to him that this was it… he needed to tell me how he felt or he was going to lose me.”

“Wow, all she did for me was tell him he had issues.” One Sam said.

“I got one better… she hooked up with Pete after I dumped him in my reality.” She laughs. “It didn’t last. She reads people well.”

“Yikes.” One of the Sams says and they all chuckle.


	60. Remember me?

After Sam left on her mission Jack decided he should check on Orlin before he headed back to DC for a few days. She would be back before he was and Marge was fine with watching the kids. It was a little like having their own version of Alice[1]. He chuckled a little to himself. He owned a craftsman. Major dad joke he noted.

Jack popped his head into his daughter’s room. She’d opted for a filmy shade of lavender this time but it was heavily highlighted with grey and yellow. “Hey kiddo. Want to go for a car ride?” He asked her.

“Depends. Is a bookstore involved?”

Jack chuckled. “One can be, yes.”

She popped up and grabbed her shoes. “Yah had me at bookstore.”

“Figured I might. I do have something I want to talk to you about though in the car.”

“Mom better not be pregnant again.” Grace said dryly.

He shook his head laughing. “No. I don’t think your mom is up to that idea just yet and we’re being careful.”

“Good.” Grace nodded. “Don’t get me wrong... I love Jake, but dad… Maybe wait a couple years before you guys have any more kids if you want more. Mom has a lot going on right now.”

Jack gave her an amused look. She’d grown up a lot over the past year. She still had episodes of being moody and belligerent but even before announcing they were moving back home, she’d settled into what Jack supposed was a nerdy sort of quietness. He knew it was the calm before the storm but he’d take it. “Your mom does have a lot going on but this would be more something you and Aunt Marge and I handled.”

She looked at him in interest as she got buckled into the passenger seat of Jack’s aging green truck. “All right, so what’s up?”

Jack focused on pulling out of their neighborhood. When he got onto a main road he started. “Your grandpa told you way more about your mom and my jobs than was strictly allowed. Now I get it that your grandpa didn’t give a single hoot about the rules most of the time and I can hardly give him a stern talking to now.”

“Dad…”

“Now… hear me out…” He shook his head. “I sound like my great grandpap when I say that.” He turned to look her while they stopped at a light. He started to explain as they started driving again “Anyway, do you remember a few years back, your first trip out to see Uncle Mark and Aunt Kim? You were about six or seven.”

“I remember that. Aunt Kim bought me an American doll and Uncle Teal’c had one made with no hair and a tattoo on its forehead after.”

Jack chuckled. “Well, while you were gone, your mom made a friend who stayed with her for a couple weeks and helped out the base with a problem.”

Grace looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember the events before she left. “Was that her friend that said I was special and mom didn’t know he’d gotten there yet?”

Jack looked at her oddly. Sam had suspected Grace could see Orlin but she’d said nothing of it after he talked to her on the phone the one time. “Yah… that’s the guy.” He admitted.

“I think he had a crush on mom.” Grace said absently and Jack chuckled. Who didn’t?

“Yah we noticed that.” He shook his head. The things this kid notices, he said to himself. “Anyway… the reason he kept telling your mom you are special is because of being my daughter. He came from a race of people you and I share genetics with apparently. We didn’t know that at the time though. I just thought I was special for other reasons.”

Grace giggles. She knows he’s making a self-deprecating joke. “Daaaddd…”

Jack grins. “You are to keep this entirely to yourself just like you do about Selmak. Got it?”

“Jeeze dad… you act like he’s got a talking snake in his head.” She says dryly.

Jack grins in amusement. “Orlin did something to help us recently but it had some pretty unfortunate consequences for him.” His face settles into a sad frown.

“Like what?”

“Orlin’s people can transmute their physical bodies into pure energy but it comes at a price. They really aren’t supposed to become human again. When they do, they lose their memories of their time as ascended beings for the most part. Orlin wanted to warn us about a really dangerous enemy but to do that… he had to come back as a kid so he could remember stuff from when he was a glowy squid thing.”

“Okay?”

“Problem is… The bad guys made some of our people really sick and Orlin was the only one who knew how to make a cure… but to do it… he had to use memories from when he was ascended. Trouble was the longer he did it… the more it fried his brains.”

“So he’s…?”

Jack shrugged. “A thirteen year old kid with a traumatic brain injury. He’s getting better but very slowly. Thing is… he doesn’t have a family to advocate for him.”

Grace nods. Her dad wasn’t able to just walk away when it was an innocent kid. Everyone figured it had to do with Charlie but Grace suspected it was more than that. Dad just really cared about kids in general. “So what’s the plan?” she finally asked him.

“Well, I was thinking we’d stop by the hospital, he’s been asking for your mom. He doesn’t remember her from before but he does from her visits. He used to be really smart but… well…”

Grace nods. “He’d have to take special classes, wouldn’t he?”

“Yup, and we’d have to keep a close eye on him most of the time until he’s really improved significantly.” Jack sighs. “But it’s not up to me, Grace. This would affect you the most. I don’t want you to feel replaced or burdened by this.”

Grace thinks about it a long time before saying cautiously. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to meet him.”

Jack nods. “That’s all I’m asking of you for now. We’ll play it by ear. It might be a long time before he can be released anyway but if he is, he’s going to need a home whether it’s with us or another family.”

Grace nods again. “And it would have to be someone from work wouldn’t it, in case he gets his memories back.”

“Yah.”

“Okay.”

Jack looks at her from the corner of his eye. Grace, like her mother, doesn’t tend to lie about her opinions. She was willing to at least meet with the kid.

* * *

“General, we weren’t expecting you today. You’ve brought a friend for Orlin?” The receptionist asks him, looking at Grace.

“This is my daughter. I’m considering Orlin’s long term needs and I thought it might be a good idea to have a second opinion.” He says with a wink.

The receptionist grins. “He’s in the conservatory as usual.”

“Thank you, Angie.” He tells her and ushers Grace ahead of him.

Orlin is sitting on a bench near one of the walls. His head is against the wall and his eyes are closed. His eyebrows are drawn together in obvious pain.

“Orlin.” Jack says to the boy softly, seeing he has a headache.

Orlin opens his eyes and looks up at Jack. “Oh…. Hi Jack… is Sam here too?”

Jack smiles gently. “Sorry, she’s out of town for work but I brought someone for you to meet. This is our daughter, Grace.”

“Sam has a daughter?”

Jack’s face falls with sadness. Orlin was still having memory problems. “Yup,” He said kindly. “You met her once a long time ago when she was little. I thought you guys might like to get to know each other a little.”

“Hi.” Grace says, wriggling her fingers almost shyly at the boy.

“Uh… hi… I uh… I wasn’t expecting anyone today.” He says and plucks at his shirt worried it might not be clean.

“Oh, it’s okay, we just dropped by to see how you are doing.” Grace sits down next to him. “Dad says you got hurt a little while ago and are having trouble remembering things.”

He nods. “Yah… and when I try too hard… I get these… really bad headaches.”

Grace nods solemnly and tilts her head. Her hand comes up and she gently touches a spot just above his right ear. “Right here?” Her eyes get a faraway look for a moment and there’s a faint glow where she touches him.

Orlin gives her a startled look. “What… what did you do?”

“I’m not sure.” She admitted and gave her dad a worried look.

Jack sits on the other side of Orlin and takes Grace’s hand. “Side effect of those genetics I was telling you about.” He tells her but he looks thoughtful. “What were you thinking when that happened?”

“That I didn’t want him to hurt.”

Jack nods. He didn’t know how he’d healed Bra’tak but he had. He couldn’t do it now though. Grace’s strength might come from her mother’s extraordinary intelligence.

They sit and talk with Orlin for a little while until Jack noticed it was time to get going. He raises an eyebrow at Grace who nods.

“I have to go now Orlin. Can I come back to visit you again some time?” She asks the boy.

“Yah… I’d uh, I’d really like that.”

Grace gives him a glowing smile much like her mother’s. Orlin smiles back.

Jack sighs inwardly. ‘And this is how Sam had a following’. He thinks to himself with some amusement. Every time she smiles at a guy like that she collects another follower.

After they got in the truck Grace had a thoughtful look on her face. “Wacha thinking, mini Carter?” He asked her.

“Dad… I think I fixed something… I think... I think I maybe can fix what’s wrong… eventually. But I can’t do it unless he’s got a headache. It’s his brain trying to heal and... that thing… where my hand glowed… I wanted him to stop being in so much pain and it fixed something inside him.”

Jack looked at her. “You’re sure?”

“Well no… but it… well it felt like that.”

Jack looks out the window for a moment then dials his phone. He gets through to who he’s looking for and tells them Colonel Carter would like a new MRI done on Orlin to compare to his last couple scans. Preferably today if they can schedule it.

He turns to his daughter after he turns off his phone. “You won’t be able to tell anyone but your mom and I.”

She nods, her dark blond curls bouncing. “I know.” She looks at him with her head tilted. “But if I can help him… he might not be… like… normal again but he might be okay enough to have some kind of life.”

“Yah. That was kind of my hope.”

“We’d have to move. The house isn’t big enough for another kid, dad.”

Jack nods solemnly. “That’s why I said this affects you the most.”

“We’d stay in Colorado Springs?”

“Well. I mean, it’s the military Grace. I can’t make you any guarantees but your mom is literally **_the_** expert on the program so she’s pretty indispensable.”

“What did Auntie Marge say?”

“She said what’s one more kid at this point.” He said, chuckling.

“Have you talked to mom yet?”

Jack shook his head.

“DAD!”

“I’ll talk to her.” He growls. “You’re worse than your grandfather.” He grumbled.

“Thank you.” She tells him primly.

“It wasn’t a complement.” He grumbles.

“It was to meeee….” She sing songs with a smug smile.

Jack shakes his head and laughs.

[1] Alice was the maid/nanny in a 70s era show called The Brady Bunch.


	61. Results may vary

They are all back at it the next morning bright and early as soon as they get word this reality’s Sam is on base and in the lab. Dr. Lee wanted to work all night but Hank had ordered both Bill and Sam home for the night so the lab had been locked for obvious reasons. Before she heads to the lab, Sam makes a detour.

“May I speak to you for a moment, Martouf?” she asks him when she finally tracks him down talking to that reality’s Teal’c.

“Certainly, Samantha… though I admit, I am struggling to keep all of you straight.”

Sam smiles wanly. Same lame jokes she notes. “The Martouf in this reality is dead.”

“Yes… sadly.”

“The one in my reality is too, but it wouldn’t have mattered. I was lucky, my reality’s Martouf never had a chance to try to use Jolinar’s memories to try to get me to fall for him because I was already committed elsewhere.”

“My reality’s Sam has also moved on.” He admits.

She nods. “Yah… see that’s the thing… this reality’s Sam never got to process that situation because of how you died. If she had… she’d have eventually resented you for manipulating her… just like yours has.”

“She doesn’t— “

But Sam gave him an arched look. “Doesn’t she?” She asked firmly.

“Perhaps she does a little. I tried to ignore her feelings for him. They couldn’t be together.”

“Martouf…” she says kindly. “It was never your decision to make. The Jack of many of our realities let us be with a man we didn’t really love because he felt it was our choice.” She told him urgently. “You have to let her go, Martouf. He loves her so very much and all you are doing is making her feel confused and guilty.”

He looks at her and smiles sadly. “You are right, of course. If she’s with him in this reality in some capacity… it’s wrong of me to try to remind her how I feel.”

Sam nods and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. He’s had his heart broken enough if this reality is anything like mine. You will love one day again but this was his one true I think. I think it is in your reality too or you wouldn’t have let her go.”

Martouf nods sadly. “It is. She’s not with us because she’s on maternity leave.”

“Make sure one of you tells her that. She clearly has some doubts on how things will work out and none of the rest of us should be telling her but you can. As her friend.”

“You are very different than the others.”

Sam grinned. “My life has been very different. I’ve had a little girl whose needs are more important than my own. I am curious though. For most of us… Janet died on P3X-666.”

“Your question is how did she not die in mine?”

Sam nods.

“I was there. Apparently it’s the only time I am… and it’s how I lost her. My Samantha. When Jack was hit, Samantha screamed his name and stood over him like an avenging angel. She wouldn’t leave his side. When he woke up finally… it all came pouring out. All of it. And… I lost her to the man she genuinely loved with her own heart rather than the memories of another woman.” He said sadly.

“I’m so sorry, Martouf.” She looks at him sympathetically. “I think you would have been better off if you had just accepted Jolinar was gone.”

He nods. “I do see that now… though… I cannot help how I feel still.”

Sam nods in understanding. “I don’t know why this Sam is encouraging you but… tell her the truth, Martouf. Before it causes her more hurt.”

“Yes, yes of course. You are right of course.” He says nodding.

Sam leaves him pondering his fate or whatever he needs to do to get his act together as Auntie Marge would say.

“Did you talk to him?” The other married Sam asks her soto voco when she gets to the lab.

“Yup.” Sam tells her. “No idea if it did any good.”

“I’ll work on Janet when I see her. He needs to stop.” Janet had opted to remain with her team rather than sleep in a room full of Sams. As several of the Sams felt guilty about her death it was… understandable.

Sam nods. “No argument there. Let’s get back to work so we can get home to our kids.” She says with a smile. Noting the Sam of this reality is too busy to notice their conversation.

The other Sam fist bumps her in the way Grace often did and they share a conspiratorial smile.

* * *

It’s early in the day when the Sam in black BDUs tells the Sam of this reality that she’s got something. Soon this reality’s Sam is beamed up to an Asgard ship with Martouf. Several Sams exchange a look. Later Martouf comes back and they took the first black clad Sam not from this reality team with them. Sam is a little suspicious of that Sam’s motives. She had been the only one not joining in on last night’s conversation and Sam was positive she’d lied when she’d not raised her hand about being married to Jack already. Sam could see the pale mark on her left hand. There was no reason to lie unless she wasn’t being honest in the first place

The SG-1 of this reality comes back with the black clad SG-1 in tow… in cuffs. Sam tells them they have a way to get everyone home and several of the Camerons and Daniels cheer. “I never liked that guy.” One of the Camerons pipes up and several of them agree with him. Sam just shakes her head.

Theirs is the second to last team to leave. She gives Janet a significant look before turning to Sam and saying too softly for anyone else to hear. “Whatever dumb thing it was he did… it’s not worth screwing everything up over.” Sam tells the Sam of this reality.

The Sam of this reality blushes and looks a little ashamed. “How did you…?”

“How do you think? He loves you more than anyone else ever has or ever will. Stop being an idiot. That’s Cam’s job.” She says and walks through the gate, her team in tow.

* * *

“Welcome back, SG-1. Would you like to explain why you’ve been missing for forty eight hours?”

“Nope but we’re gonna anyway.” Cameron says cheerily. “Hi General O’Neill. Did you miss us?”

Sam looks up at her husband who should be in DC but had apparently gotten a MIA notice from Landry and showed up immediately. They have an entire conversation with their eyes that no one but them can follow. A combination of worry, grief, relief but most of all reassurance that she’s all right.

“Something like that.” Jack grumbles at Cam as he looks away from Sam, satisfied she’s in one piece.

“Infirmary all of you. Debriefing at eleven hundred. Welcome home, SG-1.” Landry says gruffly.

An hour later Sam, Teal’c, Cameron and Daniel sit with Hank and Jack at the briefing table on twenty seven.

“So let me get this straight… There were… eighteen of you?”

“Well, on base. And several more at the Alpha Base as well.” Sam supplies.

“And it was all because one team figured out how to go to an alternate reality so they could steal a ZPM?”

“Yes sir.” Cameron tells Landry.

“I’d have liked to see that.” Jack mutters from the chair next to Sam.

“Oddly enough, sir, the General O’Neill of that reality chose to remain away from the situation.”

“Wonder why he did that?” Landry mused.

“Well he was dead in a lot of the realities and it was hard enough seeing Janet honestly.”

“Good reason.” Jack says quietly, almost to himself.

“All right, on that note, I’m granting you all forty eight of leave. Something tells me you could all use some sleep and you don’t have any missions lined up for a couple days anyway. Dismissed.” Landry said with a shooing motion. “I’m sure you need to get back to DC as well, Jack?”

Jack shrugs. “I need to ask Carter about some of the Groom Lake projects but I can do that off base after she has a chance to shower and see her kids.” Jack tells him.

“Good to see you then.” Hank tells him and shakes Jack’s hand before he leaves.


	62. Mission debriefing

Marge had hugged Sam then offered to take the kids to the park. It was cold so Sam suggested the play area at the mall. Sam was now lying on Jack’s shoulder in bed, both of them fully clothed.

“Okay, now tell me the real story.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“You left stuff out. I could tell.”

She nodded. “It’s mostly stuff that would have given Hank a headache.”

Jack chuckled. “Sam… that’s anything you say. And I don’t ask unless I actually want the answer.”

She chuckled. “Okay, well there were about eighteen of us on the base… and well, Janet and… Martouf”

“I don’t think I could have seen Janet and not gotten upset.”

She smiled sadly and hugged him. “The Daniel of that reality blamed himself for her death… and apparently that Sam had some unresolved thing for Martouf going on because her reactions to him were…”

“Ambivalent?”

“Oh yah. And then some.” She told him.

“Why do I get the feeling you stuck your nose in?”

Sam gave him an innocent ‘who me?’ look.

“Yah I know you better than that, Samantha.” He said laughing a little. “Don’t get me wrong… I adore you. Always have. But you weren’t going to let that slide if her Jack was alive.”

“Well… we had to tell one of the Sams not to marry Pete even though her Jack had died.”

“That had to be rough.” He agreed.

“It was. A few of us were already married to you. Most of them were still just engaged. There wasn’t a consistent pattern with that.”

“How many of you seduced me at a bar?”

Sam laughed and swatted his arm. “Only two others and only one of them got pregnant like I did. I wasn’t able to check with the teams they sent to Alpha.”

“And you probably wanted to.” He said chuckling.

“Of course I did. How am I supposed to run the math models if I don’t have all the data?” She said grinning.

Jack laughed. “So what were my odds of getting lucky over all?”

“From my sample… one hundred percent.”

“Why Samantha you naughty girl.” He said hugging her and kissing her neck.

She giggled. “You know that’s what I couldn’t figure out about the host reality. She was clearly in love with you but she was making doe eyes at Martouf for no apparent logical reason.”

“Did they have unresolved business?” He asked her with a thoughtful frown.

“Honestly, I think it was more… I had Grace to consider. I couldn’t take her away from you and I wasn’t leaving her.” She snuggled in tighter. “I was also already in love with you so there is that.”

Jack hummed in agreement. “Good reason.”

“A couple of the other Sams gave me the impression that Martouf kind of pressured them for a relationship.” She admitted to him.

“Did any of them go for it?”

“No, just the one with the reality where Janet survived because Martouf was there and killed the Jaffa as he aimed for her. I felt a little bad for him. It was you going down that made his Sam realize how much she loved you.”

“I seem to remember a hug and a lot of crying…” He kissed her temple gently.

“Hm, well, I was dating Pete at the time and had my head up my ass thinking you didn’t love me back. But that Sam was with Martouf and never dated Pete so her Jack was promoted to General and they got married as soon as he was no longer her CO.”

“Ooohh… Rebound.” He said with a wince and a chuckle.

Sam swatted him in amusement. “You are not now nor have you ever been my rebound guy.”

“I’m just glad you’re home safe. I was worried.”

“I was trained by the best, sir.” She says to him with a sniff of indignation.

He rolled and pinned her under him by her arms. “How many times have I told you not to get kinky unless you mean it, Carter?” He growled and claimed her lips in a slow seductive kiss that left both of them breathless. “You have too many clothes on.” He told her as he nuzzled her neck.

“So do you… sir.”

“We have about twenty minutes until Marge comes back with the kids. Hustle your ass.” He said and started tugging his shirt over his head.

Sam giggled and followed orders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here lies the end... for now. There is an epilogue story and one set during the events of 2010 that didn't fit here.


End file.
